ISLAMABAD: The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) has restored key provisions of the Passport and Immigration Rules that were earlier struck down by the Lahore High Court. The decision gives the government authority once again to place citizens on the Passport Control List and deactivate passports in certain cases.
The court suspended an earlier ruling issued by the Lahore High Court, commonly known as LHC, and accepted the government’s appeal for further hearing. A two-member bench led by Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi heard the case and issued notices to all relevant parties.
During the hearing, Justice Rizvi questioned whether the matter involved people travelling abroad through illegal means. He asked if the case was linked to human smuggling or unlawful travel activities.
The Additional Attorney General told the court that a citizen named Farhan Ali had allegedly travelled illegally to Iran and was later deported. After his deportation, authorities placed his name on the Passport Control List due to alleged illegal actions.
Farhan Ali’s lawyer, Aamir Rehman, argued that his client had challenged both actions taken by the government. These included adding his name to the list and blocking his passport.
Justice Rizvi also asked whether the individual had tried to travel abroad himself or helped send people to Italy in exchange for money. He further questioned what investigation had been carried out by the Federal Investigation Agency.
The Additional Attorney General said no official details had yet been received from the FIA regarding the investigation.
Earlier, the LHC had declared Rules 3 and 10 of the Passport and Immigration Rules invalid. The LHC ruling had limited the government’s authority in such cases.
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However, the FCC has now suspended the LHC verdict and restored those powers temporarily. The hearing has been adjourned for an indefinite period.
