KARACHI/ISLAMABAD: The Sindh High Court has demanded a response from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in relation to the plea filed by social activist and lawyer Jibran Nasir and his wife Mansha Pasha. The couple had lodged a complaint against their “unlawful” removal from a Dubai-bound flight on June 27.
The petition submitted to the court said that Nasir and Pasha had successfully completed immigration procedures but were prevented from boarding the flight from the authorities without any explanation.
In response to the preliminary hearing of the petitions, a division bench, led by Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto, issued notices to the FIA and other relevant parties, instructing them to provide their response by August 17.
“On the 27th of June, my wife and I were scheduled to travel to Dubai via Emirates EK601 to visit my family to celebrate Eid together, and we were scheduled to return to Karachi on the 5th of July,” Nasir explained on the social media platform X.
He continued, “We checked in along with our luggage, obtained boarding passes, cleared immigration, and received exit stamps. However, while we were approaching the Departure Lounge, we were approached by an FIA official who seemed to be receiving instructions from someone on his phone.”
The Petition against unconstitutional actions of the FIA
The petition also stated that Nasir and Pasha were fined $240 each due to the “illegal and unconstitutional actions of the FIA.” They asserted that the actions of the respondents in preventing them from leaving the country were unnecessary and appeared to be an attempt to harass them and their family members.
Moreover, they highlighted that they were offloaded without being provided a valid reason, official order, or notice regarding their inclusion on the Exit Control List (ECL). The FIA immigration personnel affixed offloaded stamps on their passports.
The petitioners appealed to the SHC to declare the actions of the FIA and other relevant parties as illegal and to prevent them from taking such actions in the future.
Additionally, they requested an investigation into the FIA employees who unlawfully restrained them without any valid cause or justification. They also asked for an official acknowledgment that their offloading from the flight was unlawful.
