ISLAMABAD — Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed was stopped from travelling to Saudi Arabia for Umrah on Wednesday, despite clear directives from the Lahore High Court (LHC) allowing him to travel abroad.
According to an October 30 court order, a copy of which is available with Dawn, the AML leader’s name had been removed from the Exit Control List (ECL) after being linked to several May 9 cases. The court had instructed all relevant authorities to comply with the order and facilitate his travel.
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In a video message shared on social media platform X, Sheikh Rashid said: “Today, I was stopped from going to Saudi Arabia for Umrah, despite having permission from the LHC’s Rawalpindi bench under Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan.”
He claimed that airport officials refused to honour the court’s directive. “Two airport officers told me I could not go and refused to obey the court order,” Rashid alleged, vowing to file a contempt of court petition against the officials involved. “In a country where even a high court order is not valid, you can only really look to God for help,” he added.
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The LHC order had stated that the “name of the petitioner (Sheikh Rashid) with the consent of concerned authorities has been removed from the Exit Control List (ECL).” It further noted that while the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Rawalpindi had issued a general directive to impound passports of those facing trial under Section 28-A of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, the authorities had “no objection” to Rashid’s travel for Umrah.
Sheikh Rashid, a close ally of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, has faced multiple cases stemming from the May 9 unrest, when widespread protests and vandalism erupted after Khan’s arrest in Islamabad. He was arrested earlier in January 2024 after a Rawalpindi ATC rejected his bail in one such case.