HC issues rule over blocking three women from travelling abroad

The High Court has issued a rule after three adult women were allegedly stopped from travelling abroad despite having valid passports, visas or entry permits and air tickets.

The court also directed the police’s additional IGP to resolve their complaints within seven days and submit a compliance report. Immigration authorities were instructed not to obstruct the women from travelling abroad in the future.

The High Court bench of Justice Kamrul Kader and Justice Fatema Anwar issued the order on Tuesday (September 29) after hearing a writ petition filed by the three women.

The court also asked why preventing the women from travelling should not be declared unlawful and why authorities should not be directed not to restrict adult women from lawful foreign travel based on their marital status, travelling without guardians or other gender-based considerations.

The petition alleged that the women faced no court order or other legal restriction on their travel but were stopped at the airport despite having valid documents.

-AJM