ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday ordered the authorities to place Islamabad Deputy Commissioner (DC) Irfan Nawaz Memon’s name on a no-fly list for failing to appear in a contempt case involving the detention of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shehryar Afridi under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) ordinance.
The ordinance gives the government broad detention powers, and officials have utilized them to round up and imprison PTI leaders following the May 9 riots.
Justice Babar Sattar was hearing the case against Islamabad DC and Islamabad Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Operations Malik Jamil Zafar for going beyond their powers by making instructions under Section 3 of the MPO.
SSP Operations Zafar and Superintendent of Police (SP) Farooq Buttar attended at the hearing after the court called them. At the same time, the lawyer for Islamabad DC filed a request for Memon’s release from court.
“My client is currently in Khairpur as he needs to perform Umrah,” the lawyer told the court. At this point, Justice Sattar stated that the court had not approved the exemption request.
“Let the Ministry of Interior and DG Passports also ensure that the name of Irfan Nawaz Memon is placed on the Exit Control List (ECL) so that he is unable to leave the territorial jurisdiction of Pakistan,” the court said in a brief ruling.
