Islamabad (Pakistan News) The Islamabad High Court has issued an important judgment regarding foreign travel restrictions, declaring that deportation from another country solely on the basis of overstaying cannot justify a travel ban.
Justice Muhammad Asif issued a detailed four-page judgment in which the court declared the inclusion of a citizen’s name in the Passport Control List illegal and ordered its immediate removal.
In its decision, the court stated that imposing a travel ban requires the existence of a crime, security concern, or undeniable evidence. It added that restricting a citizen’s constitutional right to travel and work abroad without any offence is not justified.
The judgment further stated that such restrictions are equivalent to violations of Articles 4, 9, 10A, 15, 18, and 25 of the Constitution, and keeping a citizen’s name on the travel restriction list is contrary to fundamental rights and legal requirements.
According to court records, the federal government had argued that the concerned citizen was deported from a Gulf country for overstaying and that, under policy, his name was placed on the Passport Control List to protect the visa system and national dignity.
However, the court ruled that imposing a travel ban merely on the basis of overstaying does not comply with legal and constitutional requirements.