Islamabad: An anti-terrorism court in Islamabad has ordered the blocking of passports belonging to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi and 24 other Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders in connection with a case registered in the federal capital.
Judge Abul Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain approved the police request on Monday and directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to keep the passports blocked until further orders.
The order covers several prominent PTI figures, including former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, Shehram Khan Tarakai, Shah Ahmed, Sher Ali Arbab, Muhammad Iqbal Afridi, Dr Amjad Ali, Junaid Akbar, Shahid Khattak, Zubair Wazir, Arshad Umarzai, Zar Alam, Mian Umar and Akhtar Khan, among others.
According to the court, the available record indicates that the individuals have been named as accused in the case.
The investigating officer told the court that the accused could leave Pakistan to avoid legal proceedings. He said serious charges had been registered against them, including allegations concerning attacks on government institutions and the promotion of terrorism.
The court also noted that the accused had not appeared before it. It further observed that those who had obtained interim bail had not yet joined the investigation or recorded their statements.
Based on the police submissions, the court granted the request and ordered the FIA to maintain the passport blockade until further directions.
The decision comes as PTI prepares for nationwide protests announced for 27 September, amid heightened political activity within the party. Afridi is currently travelling through Punjab to rally support for the proposed demonstrations.
On Monday, Afridi alleged that Punjab Police had attempted to abduct him and later left him on the roadside after assaulting and mistreating him. He said the Punjab Police would have to answer for the alleged action, calling it “no joke”.
Afridi also termed the alleged treatment of a provincial chief minister by police from another province “unacceptable”.
