The Lahore High Court has accepted the application of former interior minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed to travel abroad for performing Umrah for an early hearing, 24NewsHD TV channel reported on Thursday.
According to the report, a two-member Rawalpindi bench comprising Justice Jawad Hassan and Justice Tariq Mahmood Bajwa approved Rashid’s petition, in which he sought an early hearing of his appeal to enable him to perform Umrah.
In his plea, Rashid argued that a single bench of the court had earlier granted him permission to travel, but that order was later suspended by a division bench.
Former interior minister and Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rasheed requested that the court restore his right to travel for the religious pilgrimage, as he was never restricted from going abroad in the past.
The bench directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the federal government to submit their replies in the matter and fixed the appeal for hearing on February 26.
Last year, on December 22, Sheikh Rashid had expressed confidence that he would ultimately succeed in the case filed by the government that barred him from travelling abroad.
Speaking to reporters outside the Rawalpindi bench of the Lahore High Court at the time, he said the government had not submitted its response in court.
“The court has now adjourned the case until after the vacations,” he had said, adding that he remained fully optimistic about winning the case and proceeding for Umrah.
Rashid maintained that he had never previously been prevented from travelling abroad, describing the restriction as unprecedented in his political career.
Reporter: Irshad Qureshi