17 April 2004	Saturday	26 Safar 1425

LAHORE, April 16: The Lahore High Court on Friday allowed People's Party secretary-general Jahangir Badr to leave for England for a period of 20 days beginning April 25.

The one-time permission to the PPP leader was granted in a constitutional petition he filed challenging the decision of the interior ministry under which his name was put on the exit control list.

The standing counsel for the federal government, Mr Tariq Shamim, opposed the petitioner's plea and submitted that the ministry was prepared to take a decision within 10 days on allowing Mr Badr to leave for England as one-time permission.

The court, comprising Justice Syed Zahid Husain, did not agree with the standing counsel and allowed Mr Badr to leave for abroad against two surety bonds of Rs500,000 each. The court held that the PPP leader was not likely to stay away and would return home because he had his family in Pakistan and he had also come back on two occasions in the past.

The PPP leader submitted that his name was placed on the exit control list in 1999 without giving any reason and issuance of a show cause notice which was required under the law.