Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed was barred from travelling to Saudi Arabia for Umrah on Wednesday, despite directives from the Lahore High Court (LHC) allowing him to travel abroad.

According to an October 30 court order — a copy of which is available with Dawn — the AML leader’s name had been removed from the Exit Control List (ECL), following involvement in several May 9 cases. The court had directed relevant authorities to allow him to travel.

However, in a video message posted on the social media platform X, Rashid alleged: “Today, I was stopped from going to Saudi Arabia for Umrah, despite having permission from LHC’s Rawalpindi bench under Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan.”

The AML leader recalled that the “court had directed relevant authorities — who were present in the hearing — to comply and strictly adhere to the directives, yet I have been told that I can not go.”

Rashid alleged that two airport officers told him he “could not go and refused to obey the court order”.

Rashid vowed to file for contempt of court against airport officials before Justice Khan, adding that “in a country where even a high court order is not valid, you can only really look to God for help.”

In the Oct 30 court order, it was notified that “name of the petitioner (Sheikh Rashid) with the consent of concerned authorities has been removed from the exit control list (ECL).”

The court noted that, “Anti-terrorism court Rawalpindi had issued general order for impounding of passports relating to the persons facing trial under Section 28-A ATA, 1997, but at present respondents have no objection on going of the petitioner to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah.”

In January 2024, the AML chief was arrested after a Rawalpindi anti-terrorism court rejected his bail in a case pertaining to violence in the country on May 9.

Previously, Rashid was arrested in 2023 by the Punjab police amid the state’s crackdown on the PTI and its supporters following incidents of vandalism on May 9 — when party chairman Imran Khan was first arrested from the premises of the Islamabad High Court (IHC).