Lahore:
Passports from thousands of people over Punjab have been blocked over the past 2 years due to their suspected participation in May 9, 2023 rebel events – leading to cancellation of their international trips, including pilgrimage to Makkah.
Interestingly, Pakinomist fences were used to identify the alleged rebels active in a particular area on May 9 and May 10, 2023. As a result against dozens of people – including employees of governments and private organizations whose jobs were located in these sites and as used phones under rebellion – faced blacklisting of passports.
A number of these people were told that their passports have only been blocked when they arrived at the airport to fly to foreign destinations or went to the passport office for renewal of their documents. Dozens of such people have now approached Lahore High Court (LHC).
While hearing these petitions, LHC has summoned passport servants with items.
In many of these cases, the passport authorities have already submitted to the court showing that the passports have been blacklisted. The passport and immigration department told LHC that the task of blacklisting passes does not fall under their jurisdiction and that the Ministry of the Interior includes and removes names from Blacklist and Exit Control List (ECL).
They claimed that the names of the petries were added to the black list because of their alleged involvement in May 9 events. The persons whose names are on the blacklist or whose passport has expired cannot renew their document until their names are removed from the blacklist.
Violent protests broke across the country after the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan on May 9, 2023.
During the turmoil, attacks were carried out on 39 military installations across the country between 7 p.m. 15.00 and at. 19.00 of May 9th. Most of these attacks – 23 – occurred in Punjab, followed by KL. 8 in KP, 7 in Sindh and one in Balochistan.
Large military facilities attacked GHQ included GHQ in Rawalpindi, Corps Commander’s House in Lahore, Mianwali Air Force Base and ISI offices in Faisalabad, Sargodha and Rawalpindi.
