PESHAWAR: Civil Judge Rafaqat Zahoor on Monday issued notices to the US Consulate in Peshawar, the US Embassy in Islamabad, Turkish Airlines and the immigration desk at Islamabad International Airport, asking them to appear before the court on January 25 in a $20 million damages suit by a Peshawar-based journalist.
A copy of the legal notice seen by Arab News stated that plaintiff Mahmood Jan Babar had served a legal notice to the defendants, asking for $20 million in damages for “subjecting him to humiliation, physical and mental torture and financial loss to him and his family.”
File photo of a Peshawar based journalist Mahmood Jan Babar. (Photo courtesy: social media)
Babar told Arab News he was issued an “I” type five-year visa by the US Embassy in August 2016, which was valid until August 2021 and that he had been planning to travel to the US to cover presidential elections last November. He said he was also issued an Islamabad-to-Istanbul-to-New York ticket by Turkish Airlines for October 25, 2020.
“When my client reached Immigration desk at Islamabad Airport, an on-duty officer online checked and verified his traveling documents including passport, ticket and visa status,” Babar’s lawyer said. “And after finding all documents correct, genuine and valid, allowed him to board on flight TK711 Turkish Airlines A330-300.”
After a six-hour journey, Babar said he reached Istanbul where he was made to wait for around seven hours to board the next connecting flight. However, the airline and Turkish immigration did not allow him to board the New York flight.
“My client repeatedly asked the reasons but the airline and immigration section did not point-out any, whatsoever, and forced him to return to Islamabad in an undignified and insulting manner,” the lawyer said. “On his return, my client contacted the Airline in question through email as to why it de-boarded him and sent back to Pakistan halfway. In its reply, the Airline informed Babar that the US Embassy revoked his visa.”
In an email to Babar, the US embassy said his visa was revoked under Section 221(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, and asked him to surrender his passport so that his visa could be canceled.
The lawyer add: “The Airline had a duty to check and verify visa status before issuance of international tickets. While, the Immigration officer was duty-bound to verify validity and correctness of traveling documents including passport, ticket and visa status. And the Embassy is responsible, duty-bound and under obligations to inform the people concerned before cancelation of [any] Visa.”
“The humiliation, physical and mental torture and loss caused due to your acts, negligence, omissions and conduct collectively and individually to my client cannot be calculated in terms of money,” the lawyer said, saying his client had asked for $20 million in total damages.
