ISLAMABAD, April 10: The civil judge, Islamabad, Syed Muzaffar Ali Shah Tuesday issued notice to Emirates Airlines for damages suit of $10 million, filed by a local lawyer and directed the airlines to submit its reply by April 19.

The lawyer Rana Ali Ahmed through Tariq Aziz advocate claimed in the suit that he had bought two tickets of the airlines to travel to Dallas, US along with his wife to attend the graduation ceremony of his son studying there.

He said when he and his wife got to the airport, they were told by the airlines staff that their tickets had been booked for Rome and not for Dallas. The lawyer produced receipt of the booking.

They were, however, allowed to board the Dallas-bound plane. During the journey they were told that they were travelling to Cleveland in the US and not Dallas. As soon as they disembarked at Cleveland airport, they were arrested by the US police on suspicion that why did they not proceed to Dallas directly. They were told that “you avoided major port of entry and were potential immigrants”.

The US police cancelled their visas and banned their entry into the US for five years and were deported forthwith. Their luggage was lost and when they were taken to Dubai, they were not offered any accommodation in violation of rules of international travelling and had to stay at their on own expenses. Some of their luggage was found but most of it was missing and the suit cases broken.

In the suit it was said the wrong done to him and his spouse caused a great deal of mental torture, made him an accused in the eyes of the US authorities, resulting in a ban on his entry in the US where his four children were studying and this made the airline liable for the damages worth $10 million.