Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Firdous Aashiq Awan was offloaded from a flight to Dubai for using a blue passport “illegally”.
According to a local media report, Firdous Aashiq Awan was travelling to Dubai from Islamabad International Airport on Saturday through a private airline.
The media report, quoting the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), has said that the PTI leader was barred from travel because the blue passport could not be used without any official status and had to be returned after quitting the government office.
Immigration officers told Awan that she could not travel on the blue passport after which the passport was confiscated by FIA.
Meanwhile, Firdous Aashiq Awan has denied reports of her escaping to Canada and told local media that according to law, after being member of National Assembly (MNA) once, it was permissible to hold the blue passport.
Talking to media, she said that she had obtained the visa of Dubai through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the same blue passport, asking that if there was any problem, she would not have been given the visa.
She also told that she was going to participate in the Women’s Peace Cup being held in Dubai on August 21 as a co-host. She further said that everything would be clear by Monday.
The official blue passport allows entry to 70 countries without any visa formality. Only government employees and legislators are authorized to carry the blue passport.
