LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday allowed two children of Farhat Shahzadi, a friend of former prime minister Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi, to travel abroad.

A two-member bench headed by Justice Anwarul Haq Pannun heard a petition by Faraz Iqbal and Imaan Iqbal, the son and the daughter of Ms Shahzadi, challenging the inclusion of their name in the exit control list (ECL).

Advocate Azhar Siddique appeared on behalf of the petitioners and argued that the government subjected his clients to political victimisation. He said the petitioners were not required in any case by any government agency. He said the petitioners were not being allowed to go abroad for performing Umrah and education purposes as they had been placed on the ECL.

A government lawyer stated that no property was yet registered in the petitioners’ names, but inquiries were underway against their mother, who is out of the country.

Justice Pannun questioned how the children can be prevented from leaving the country on the basis of some inquiries pending against their parents, saying they were free and independent.

The bench allowed the petition and permitted the petitioners to travel abroad with a direction to the government to remove their names from the ECL.

Multiple inquiries of alleged corruption were launched against the housing business of Farhat Shahzadi and her husband by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the Anti Corruption Establishment (ACE). However, she had left the country before the start of the inquiries.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2024