Petition seeking evacuation of stranded Pakistanis in Iran turned down

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court (IHC) Wednesday dismissed a petition seeking measures for evacuation of Pakistanis stuck in Iran due to COVID-19 outbreak.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah conducted the hearing on the petition, filed by Majlis Wahdatul Muslimin over the matter which was subsequently turned down by the court.

At the outset of hearing, the chief justice asked the petitioner that whether it had approached the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

To this, the petitioner’s lawyer answered in ‘no’.

The chief justice said it was the mandate of the foreign ministry and parliament.

The court could not involve itself in any administrative matter of the government at this crucial time arose in the wake of novel coronavirus, he added.

Justice Minallah asked the petitioner not to assume that the federal government was doing nothing to protect the lives of its citizens and directed to approach the relevant forum as Foreign Office was already viewing the issue on priority.

Earlier, the petitioner adopted the stance that thousands of Pakistanis were stuck in Iran and their visas had also been expired.

To this, the chief justice said this was an international issue and Foreign Office had to decide in that regard. After this, the court turned down the petition.