ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) gave time to Zulfiqar Bukhari to file a reply till Tuesday and adjourned the hearing of the case.
The petition filed against putting the name of Zulfi Bukhari, a close associate of Imran Khan, in the blacklist came up for hearing before the single bench of IHC led by Justice Amir Farooq on Monday.
Zulfi Bukhari appeared in the court along with his counsel.
The judge expressed the need to move forward on the case after receiving the response. “A reply must be produced if Bukhari wants to move ahead on the proceedings with respect to the pleas that have previously been made in the petition,” he remarked.
Bukhari’s counsel reiterated in court the demand to get a relief on the travelling ban.
The judge said that they have challenged the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) recommendation regarding placing Bukhari’s name on the Exit Control List (ECL).
The NAB deputy prosecutor also appeared in the court at the inception of hearing. The prosecutor told the court if his pleas regarding NAB are maintained the case will have to be referred to the division bench.
The court remarked that they are giving time and sought a detailed reply by Tuesday. The hearing was adjourned till July 3.
His name had been blacklisted and placed on ECL due to NAB’s recommendation to the interior ministry after he had avoided to join investigations into his offshore companies mentioned in the Panama Papers.
The NAB prosecutor has argued in earlier court sessions that Bukhari had been sent several notices about his ownership of offshore firms, but he did not appear before the anti-corruption watchdog.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on June 21 sought a written reply from the interior ministry and the NAB over the matter of Zulfi Bukhari’s name being blacklisted.
According to a news source, Justice Aamer Farooq of the IHC resumed the hearing of Bukhari’s petition praying upon the court to remove his name from the Exit Control List (ECL).
