Islamabad (Web Desk): The Federal Constitutional Court has delivered a significant ruling in favor of the federal government in a case concerning the Passport and Immigration Rules, suspending an earlier judgment of the Lahore High Court.
A two-member bench headed by Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi heard the federal government’s appeal and formally accepted it for regular hearing. The court also issued notices to all relevant parties and sought their responses at the next hearing.
As part of the interim order, the court restored the provisions of the Passport and Immigration Rules that had previously been struck down by the Lahore High Court.
With this decision, the federal government’s administrative powers under the disputed rules have been reinstated.
The restored authority allows the government to place any individual on the Passport Control List and to deactivate or block passports under the applicable legal framework.
The Lahore High Court had earlier declared certain provisions of the rules as contrary to fundamental rights and had struck them down.
However, the constitutional court’s latest order has temporarily suspended that decision pending further proceedings.