ATC rejects former Home Secretary’s travel application; lawyer raises the high court’s challenge
Former Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed addressed the media on February 24 after he was put back on the exit control list. PHOTO: SCREENGRAB
ISLAMABAD:
Former Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad’s application to travel abroad for Umrah was rejected on Tuesday after his name was placed on the Exit Control List (ECL) for the second time.
The prosecutor informed the court that the Federal Investigation Agency, following instructions from the federal government, had placed Sheikh Rashid’s name on the ECL. The prosecutor added that in connection with the May 9 incidents and the GHQ attack cases, the names of all the accused have been placed on the list.
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The federal government had decided to place several Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders in the ECL in connection with cases arising from the May 9 incident; including Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Omar Ayub, Fawad Chaudhry, Shibli Faraz, Ali Amin Gandapur, Shehryar Afridi, Usman Dar, Shireen Mazari, Zartaj Gul, Musarrat Cheema, Kanwal Shauzab, Sheikh Rashid and Major (retd) Tahir Sadiq.
Following the prosecutor’s statement, Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Amjad Ali Shah rejected Rashid’s application for Umrah.
Afterwards, the senior politician’s lawyer announced that the decision and action would be challenged in the High Court, arguing that since the court had already granted Rashid permission to travel for Umrah, placing his name on the ECL was tantamount to contempt of court.
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Sheikh Rashid said shortly after the hearing that he was surprised to learn that his name had been added to the ECL once again, noting that it had previously been removed. He promised to challenge the case in the High Court and expressed confidence that he would be granted permission and perform Umrah.
In November 2025, Sheikh Rashid was prevented from leaving the country despite Lahore High Court orders allowing him to perform Umrah. Rashid, who was traveling to Saudi Arabia via Dubai, was stopped by immigration officials at Islamabad International Airport.
Following the incident, he said he would approach the court again, adding that all relevant authorities had been provided with copies of the court’s orders, ensuring there was no obstruction.
