Lahore – The Lahore High Court (LHC) registrar office on Tuesday has put a procedural objection on a petition challenging requirement of No Objection Certificates (NOCs) before traveling abroad and has asked the petitioner to affix impugned notification issued by interior ministry in this regard. Earlier petitioner advocate Noshab A Khan had challenged the requirement saying that the impugned decision taken by the interior ministry was a gross infringement of civil liberties. He said the decision was disappointing that the democratic government should consider such a possibility leave aside expound it publicly.
He said this was a flashback of Zia’s regime when artists were hostage to NOCs. He added that this was an utter violation and encroachment upon the citizens’ fundamental right of freedom of movement as enshrined in Pakistan’s constitution. He said the decision was therefore illegal, without jurisdiction, misconstrued application of discretion and void ab-initio. He had pleaded and prayed to the court to set aside the impugned orders.
