ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court in Islamabad has ordered the FIA to block the passports of 24 PTI leaders.
The order came on Monday. Judge Abual Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain issued the order.
Islamabad Police had sought the move in a case from Kohsar Police Station.
Sohail Afridi Among PTI Leaders
The list includes Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi.
It also includes National Assembly members Asad Qaiser and Junaid Akbar.
Shahid Khattak and Shehram Khan Tarakai also appear on the list.
Former opposition leader Omar Ayub Khan is also among the names.
The list also includes Sher Ali Arbab and Muhammad Iqbal Afridi.
Shah Ahmad, Dr Amjad Ali and Zubair Wazir also face the order.
More PTI Members Named
The court also named Arshad Umarzai and Zar Alam.
Mian Umar and Akhtar Khan also appear on the list.
Other names include Humayun Khan, Riaz Khan and Abdul Kabir Khan.
Tufail Anjum also faces the passport block order.
The list further includes Asif Mehsud and Ajab Gul.
Muhammad Usman and Babar Saleem Swati also appear on the list.
Irfan Saleem, Advocate Ali Zaman and Malik Shahab complete the list.
Court Cites Risk of Leaving Pakistan
The court reviewed the record in the case.
It said the record names the accused in the case.
The investigating officer also raised concerns about their possible departure from Pakistan.
The officer said the accused could leave the country to avoid the legal process.
The court accepted the request from the investigating officer.
It then directed the FIA to block their passports until further orders.
Court Refers to Serious Allegations
The court said the case involves serious allegations.
These include attacks on state institutions and the promotion of terrorism.
The court also noted that the accused had not appeared before it.
It said some accused persons had secured interim bail.
However, those people had not joined the investigation, according to the court.
The passport block will remain in place until the court issues further directions.
