Federal Constitutional Court has suspended the Lahore High Court ruling that had struck down key provisions of the Passport Rules 2021 affecting travel bans.
The suspension restores the authority of federal government to block passports, add names to the Passport Control List, and impose travel bans on deportees.
A three-judge bench led by Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi granted interim relief while hearing an appeal from the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports.
The court issued notices to respondents, including Vehari resident Farhan Ali and officials of the Federal Investigation Agency, pending a final verdict.
The case began after Ali was deported from Iran, following which authorities inactivated his passport and imposed a five-year ban on international travel.
Ali challenged the restrictions in the Lahore High Court, which ruled in his favour in December 2025, declaring certain provisions of the law unlawful.
The federal government argued that the high court exceeded its jurisdiction by striking down legal provisions that Ali had not directly challenged in his petition.
Officials maintained that Ali had violated immigration laws and international norms, and that restricting his travel was a lawful and proportionate government measure.
In its petition, the government cited obligations of Pakistan under the United Nations Convention on Transnational Organized Crime to justify restricting travel for deportees.
The government also argued that the right to travel abroad under Article 15 of Pakistan’s Constitution is not absolute and permits lawful state restrictions.
Authorities have urged the court to uphold the Passport Rules 2021 and allow time-bound travel restrictions on individuals connected to illegal migration activities.
