Singer Malkoo to appear before LHC seeking removal of his name from no-fly list
Entertainment
Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh of LHC will conduct the hearing on Friday
LAHORE (Web Desk) - The Lahore High Court on Thursday fixed a petition for hearing by pop singer Muhammad Ashraf, also known as Malkoo, in which he challenged his placement on the Provisional National Identification List (PNIL).
The PNIL is a substitute for the Exit Control List, commonly known as the ECL.
Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh of LHC will conduct the hearing on Friday.
The federal government, interior ministry, Directorate General of Immigration and Passports and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) were made respondents in the petition moved by Advocate Azhar Siddique.
The singer’s name was added to the PNIL in March this year and has not been removed yet.
The petition maintained that by putting his name on the PNIL, the respondents had violated Articles 9 (Security of person), 14 (Inviolability of dignity of man), 15 (Freedom of movement), 16 (Freedom of assembly) and 18 (Freedom of trade, business or profession) of the Constitution.
It argued that the singer was put on the list “in an arbitrary, illegal, without jurisdiction and haphazard manner”.
Malkoo released two songs titled ‘Qaeedi 804’ and ‘Nak da Koka’ on his YouTube channel ahead of February 8 general elections.
Both the songs allegedly supported incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan.
The petition states that it was because of these songs that his name was put on the PNIL, barring him from travelling to the United Kingdom where he is likely to perform live.
“Stopping the petitioner from travelling to UK by placing his name on the PNIL is a clear-cut case of political victimisation,” the petition reads.
The petition prayed that Malkoo’s name be removed from the PNIL so he could travel to the UK for his concerts.
