The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday issued a notice to the director general immigration. The notice relates to the offloading of three passengers, including a couple, travelling for Umrah.
Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir heard the petition and sought a response from the relevant authorities. The petitioners challenged the decision that prevented them from boarding their flight for the pilgrimage.
Petitioners Challenge Airport Offloading Decision
Asad Aslam, Imran, and Ishrat Imran filed the petition before the court. They argued that airport authorities wrongly stopped them from travelling on June 18.
Advocate Tariq Muhammad Khan Marwat represented the petitioners during the hearing. According to the lawyer, airport staff claimed the travellers lacked a confirmed hotel booking. However, he informed the court that the petitioners possessed both return tickets and a hotel booking QR code.
The lawyer further stated that authorities failed to verify the travel documents. Instead, he alleged that staff members offloaded the passengers despite the available proof.
Court Asked to Permit Umrah Travel and Order Inquiry
During the proceedings, the petitioners also accused airport staff of misconduct. The lawyer claimed officials behaved improperly and caused unnecessary inconvenience to the travellers.
Moreover, the petition alleged that staff members demanded a bribe to clear the passengers for travel. Consequently, the petitioners requested the court to take action against those involved.
The petition asked the court to direct authorities to allow the applicants to proceed with their Umrah journey. In addition, the petitioners sought compensation of Rs 1.4 million for their expenses. They also requested a departmental inquiry into the conduct of the airport staff.
The court’s notice marks the beginning of formal proceedings in the matter.
