Lahore: The Lahore High Court has ruled on a petition concerning the disembarkation of a citizen at Islamabad Airport.
The Lahore High Court dismissed the petition filed by the FIA ​​(Federal Investigation Agency) against the disembarkation of the citizen at Islamabad Airport. Judge Munawar Iqbal Dogal ruled that the action at Islamabad Airport was outside the Lahore High Court’s jurisdiction.
The court cautioned that granting any High Court in the country the authority to act against the action carried out in Islamabad, based on the concept of a federal institution, would invalidate the territorial restriction imposed by Article 199 of the Constitution.
Judge Munawar Iqbal Dogal of the Lahore High Court issued a confidential ruling on the petition filed by Muhammad Owais.
According to the ruling, the plaintiff challenged the actions of the Federal Immigration Authority (FIA) in preventing him from boarding at Islamabad International Airport on July 17, 2026, and, under Article 199 of the Constitution, preventing him from traveling abroad.
The plaintiff’s lawyer, Syed Irfan Haider Naqvi, argued that his client possessed complete and valid travel documentation; nevertheless, he was prevented from traveling abroad. The plaintiff was not provided with any written reason or court order for the deportation.
The lawyer argued that the FIA ​​is a federal government agency and handles federal matters, and therefore can be sued in any High Court in the country. The plaintiff resides in Punjab, and the consequences of the deportation still affect him in Punjab; therefore, the Lahore High Court has jurisdiction to hear the petition.
On the other hand, Pakistan’s Deputy Attorney General, Muhammad Shakeel Ahmed Pasha, raised a preliminary objection to the admissibility of the petition. The prosecutor argued that the petitioner was detained by FIA immigration officials at Islamabad International Airport, who checked his travel documents and prevented him from leaving the country; therefore, the Lahore High Court lacks territorial jurisdiction in this matter.
Judge Munawar Iqbal Dogal wrote in his ruling that Article 199 of the Constitution grants the High Court extraordinary constitutional powers, but the Constitution clearly imposes territorial restrictions on those powers. According to Article 199(1)(a), the High Court may issue an order against a person performing functions related to the affairs of the Federation, a province, or a local authority within its territorial boundaries.
According to the court, the requirement of territorial jurisdiction is not a mere procedural restriction, but a fundamental restriction imposed on the High Court’s constitutional authority. The mere fact that the institution in question is a federal institution does not grant any High Court unlimited power to act against it.
The court also referenced Supreme Court decisions and stated that the petitioner’s mere residence in Punjab does not grant the Lahore High Court jurisdiction over the matter. Residence may be relevant when dealing with a federal order or a continuing ban effective in Punjab, but the Lahore High Court’s jurisdiction cannot be established solely based on residence with respect to a purely local action carried out in Islamabad.
