ISLAMABAD: More than 10,000 citizens have been removed from the no-fly list following directions issued by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on a series of petitions challenging restrictions on foreign travel.

IHC Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar issued the directives to the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) while hearing petitions filed by individuals who were offloaded from flights despite possessing valid travel documents.

During the proceedings, the petitioners, most of whom were working or planning to be employed in Middle Eastern countries and some in Europe, contended that they were unlawfully prevented from travelling abroad. They informed the court that despite holding valid work visas and residence permits, they were stopped at airports without prior notice or explanation.

Upon inquiry by the court, it was revealed that the names of the petitioners had been placed on the Passport Control List (PCL), which automatically restricts foreign travel. Officials told the court that a substantial number of those listed were individuals who had previously been deported from foreign countries, often due to minor deficiencies in their travel documentation.

The authorities further disclosed that approximately 50,000 deported citizens were currently included in the PCL, raising concerns about the sweeping nature of the list and its impact on overseas workers.

Taking serious notice of the issue, the chief justice directed the relevant authorities to review the list and remove individuals whose inclusion was based on minor or technical grounds. In compliance with the court’s orders, a review committee comprising senior officials from the FIA and the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports was constituted.

According to an official familiar with the process, the committee conducted a detailed scrutiny of the cases and, in its first phase, recommended the removal of over 10,000 names from the PCL.

The move is expected to provide relief to thousands of individuals seeking to resume employment abroad.

The case has also highlighted the existence of multiple categories under which Pakistani citizens may face travel restrictions. These include the Exit Control List (ECL), the Provisional National Identification List (PNIL), and the Passport Control List (PCL).

The ECL is overseen by a federal cabinet committee and generally includes individuals involved in serious offences such as corruption, terrorism, or financial fraud. The PNIL, on the other hand, imposes a temporary 30-day travel restriction, typically while a case is being processed for possible placement on the ECL. The PCL, widely used in recent years, enables authorities to restrict travel by cancelling or withholding passports and often includes deportees, proclaimed offenders, suspected human traffickers, and individuals flagged by security agencies.

Legal experts believe the court’s intervention may lead to greater scrutiny and transparency in the process of placing citizens on such lists, particularly in cases involving overseas workers whose livelihoods depend on foreign travel.

Published in Dawn, April 11th, 2026