Mirpur, Pakistan administered Kashmir – In a case highlighting apparent contradictions between judicial orders and state agency watchlists, Dr. Rehan Tauqir was once again prevented from traveling abroad from Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport last night.
This incident occurred despite him possessing a clear permission for one-time travel from the Islamabad High Court (IHC), a no-objection certificate (NOC) from a Kotli court, and after having submitted surety bonds as mandated.
According to Dr. Tauqir, he was off-loaded by officials of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). He alleges he was then taken into custody and held in what he describes as “illegal detention” throughout the night before being released the following morning.
This is the second time this year the doctor has been stopped from traveling. He was first off-loaded from Islamabad Airport in the first week of June. Following a lengthy legal process, the IHC finally granted him conditional permission for a one-time travel abroad. The permission was contingent upon him obtaining an NOC from the local court in Kotli and submitting surety bonds of Rs. 100,000 in the high court.
Dr. Tauqir fulfilled both conditions. After his bail was approved in Kotli, he secured the necessary no-objection certificate. He also submitted the required surety bonds in the Islamabad High Court.
However, when he attempted to travel from Lahore, FIA officials off-loaded him, stating that his name was still active on the Exit Control List (ECL) or the no-fly list.
“Despite contacting a senior officer in the Kotli police, FIA officials on ground declared my documents to be fake and did not allow me to travel,” Dr. Tauqir stated.
The repeated incidents have resulted in significant financial loss for the individual, with two US-bound airline tickets being wasted so far, amounting to hundreds of thousands of rupees.
The case raises serious questions about the coordination between the judiciary, which grants relief, and the executive agencies responsible for implementing court orders and maintaining watchlists. Legal experts suggest such episodes undermine the authority of the courts and create a climate of legal uncertainty for citizens.
When contacted, FIA officials typically state they are bound to act according to the official database, which may not be updated instantly upon a court’s instruction. This gap between a court’s decision and its implementation by other state organs lies at the heart of the incident.
Dr. Tauqir’s legal team has stated they will pursue the matter further in court to seek clarity and prevent such occurrences in the future.
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