PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court on Tuesday reserved its order on a petition of MPA Fazal Hakeem against the placement of his name on travel restriction lists.

A bench consisting of Justice Wiqar Ahmad and Justice Farah Jamshed heard arguments of lawyers for the petitioner, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the federal government.

It granted more time to the respondents, including the federal government, to respond in writing to a separate petition filed by Mr Hakeem’s wife and children against the placement of their names on the Passport Control List (PCL) and Provisional National Identification List (PNIL).

Mr Hakeem, a lawmaker from Swat district and a former provincial minister, as well as his children and wife have requested the court to declare illegal the act of the federal government to declare travel restrictions for them.

Advocate Bashir Khan Wazir appeared for him and said that the name of his client as well as those of his wife and four children had been included in the PCL and PNIL.

He said that the petitioners were not involved in any crime, so the act of the federal government to impose travel restrictions on them was unconstitutional and against superior court judgements.

An assistant attorney general told the court that a report regarding the case of Mr Hakeem’s son Salman had yet not been received.

He sought more time for producing the required report.

Meanwhile, a bench consisting of Justice Syed Arshad Ali and Justice Babar Sattar sought the response of the federal government, the FIA and other authorities about a petition that challenged the placing of the name of PTI MNA Asif Khan on the Exit Control List.

When the court inquired about any specific offence committed by the petitioner that warranted the placement of his name on the ECL, his counsel said the cases were registered against his client following the May 9 violent protests, so he was formally barred from travelling abroad.

Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2026