The PTI’s Taimur Saleem Jhagra claimed on Friday that he was barred from clearing immigration and boarding his flight to the United States at Peshawar Airport.

The former KP finance minister said in a post on X that he was travelling to Washington, DC, to attend a debate at the Pakistan Conclave at Georgetown University, but could not clear immigration.

“At the airport, I was told my name was on the PNIL (Provisional National Identification List), and hence that my passport was inactive,” Jhagra wrote. “The FIA staff said they would have been unable to even comply with court orders, unless the computer system they had was updated with the status.”

He said there was a lack of transparency with the PNIL and questioned who can add and remove names from the list and for what purpose.

“I had written to [the] secretary [of] interior on November 4, anticipating this, and personally delivered the letter to the ministry. In ten days, I received no response,” Jhagra added.

“I also went to court, and even had a hearing in Peshawar High Court today, to highlight the absurdity of individuals buying tickets and booking travel, and then not being allowed to travel at a whim.”

According to Jhagra, the deputy attorney general was present at the hearing and when asked why Jhagra’s name was on the PNIL, he replied that the interior ministry could only explain in writing.

“At court, I saw at least two other MNAs also attempting to clear their names off the no-fly list, including [Sher Ali Arbab],” he wrote. “He was going to travel as part of a parliamentary delegation to COP30 in Brazil. Think of the amount of time wasted in courts on issues like this.”

“Ironically, I have exited the country and reentered at least six times since June 2024, without any issue, since I consult part-time. Since I last returned, I have not even violated a red light or a motorway speed limit,” he noted.

Jhagra added that while he was allowed to travel on a prior trip, his 18-year-old daughter had been unable to fly abroad for her studies as her name was added to the PNIL. In his post, he noted that the PHC stepped in, and her name was taken off the list.

“Certainly hoping that the future of democracy in Pakistan is bright at some point of time, but with all these muppets around, the present fate of democracy is pretty dark! And that is why we must fight for it!” he concluded.

Earlier this month, Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed was barred from travelling to Saudi Arabia for Umrah, despite directives from the Lahore High Court (LHC) allowing him to travel abroad.

According to an October 30 court order, the AML leader’s name had been removed from the Exit Control List (ECL), following involvement in several May 9 cases. The court had directed relevant authorities to allow him to travel.

However, in a video message posted on the social media platform X, Rashid alleged: “Today, I was stopped from going to Saudi Arabia for Umrah, despite having permission from LHC’s Rawalpindi bench under Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan.”