LHC Division Bench nullifies relief granted to Sheikh Rashid for Umrah travel

The Lahore High Court Rawalpindi Bench has accepted the federal government’s intra-court appeal and set aside a single bench decision that had allowed Sheikh Rashid Ahmed to travel to Saudi Arabia for Umrah.

In a detailed 23-page verdict, a division bench comprising Justice Jawad Hassan and Justice Tariq Mahmood Bajwa declared the earlier ruling null and void. The decision was announced after the bench had reserved its judgment last week following arguments from both sides and the federation’s response.

The court ruled that under Section 28A of the Anti-Terrorism Act, the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) holds the authority to regulate the passport of an accused and grant permission for international travel.

Directing a fresh review, the bench instructed the ATC to hear the parties again and decide on Sheikh Rashid’s application in accordance with the law. Consequently, the matter has been remanded to the special anti-terrorism court.

Sheikh Rashid had sought permission to travel to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah. However, his name was placed on the Provisional National Identification List (PNIL) in connection with the GHQ attack case.