PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court on Thursday stopped the police from taking any action against an export company owned by South Korean and American nationals.

A bench consisting of the Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Justice Wiqar Ahmad also directed the interior ministry and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa home department to submit detailed replies to a petition of the company, GA Friends, which insisted that the two letters issued by the interior ministry and home department on Nov 23, 2023, and Dec 19, 2023, respectively to the company for winding up its operations should be declared illegal.

The petitioner also challenged a Feb 22, 2024, police notice, asking it tovacate its offices located in Peshawar’s University Town.

The bench suspended action on the notice until further orders and fixed Nov 6 for next hearing.

Seeks govt response to petition against orders for winding up operations

Advocate Nauman Muhib Kakakhel appeared for the petitioner stating that the company had two directors, Ms Inshook You and Jinwook Lee, both having dual citizenship of South Korea and USA.

He said that the company mostly focused on exporting pink salt from Pakistan and was also involved in cultural activities, including teaching Korean language to students.

The lawyer said that the directors had also applied for the registration of theInstitute of Asian Culture and Development Korea, which was regretted by the federal government.

He said that GA Friends, which was legally carrying out activities, was utterly surprised at receiving the impugned letter from the homedepartment in which it was accused of involvement in ‘undesirable’ activities.

“The home department had sent the letter in light of another letter of Nov 23 received by it from the interior ministry that mentioned that the petitioner’s company is an international NGO and it could not work in the country without approval. In light of those letters, the bank account of the petitioner was also blocked without citing any reason,” he said.

The lawyer contended that the impugned letters and actions of the respondents didn’t explain those ‘undesirable’ activities.

He added that the local police asked GA Friends to vacate the rented premises where it had set up offices.

The counsel argued that lawful business of the export company was being stopped with no plausible justification, which was an unconstitutional and illegal act.

Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2024