ISLAMABAD: Justice Babar Sattar of the Islamabad High Court has directed the Interior Ministry to add Islamabad’s Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon name to the Exit Control List (ECL) due to his non-appearance in court for a contempt of court case regarding the illegal detention of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leaders Shehryar Afridi and Shandana Gulzar under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO).
The court’s written verdict stated that Memon’s legal representative informed the court that he was absent because he had received instructions from his mother to accompany her on a trip to their ancestral home in Middle East on February 22, necessitating his departure for Khairpur.
The ruling stated that Irfan Nawaz Memon is a defendant in a case undergoing daily trial proceedings. According to the record, a show cause notice was served to Irfan Nawaz Memon on August 15, 2023, yet the case has experienced postponements to accommodate the respondents and their counsels’ scheduling preferences. During a prior hearing, his counsel informed the court that the respondent intended to embark on Umrah on February 22 and was assured that the trial would ideally conclude by then.
The court denied Memon’s request for exemption from personal appearance Wednesday, stating that since the matter was scheduled for final arguments, exemption was not granted.
