PTI leader Firdous Ashiq Awan has denied that she was off-loaded from any international flight. She also claimed that using a blue passport is legal.
Earlier, reports emerged that Firdous Ashiq Awan was on Saturday off-loaded from a Canada-bound flight after she was leaving the country from Islamabad airport.
According to the reports, the PTI leader was off-loaded for using a blue passport “illegally”. To clarify, the official blue passport allows entry to some 70 countries around the world without the formality of a visa and only government employees and lawmakers are authorized to carry it.
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However, the blue passport cannot be used without having any official status and has to be returned after quitting the government office. Firdous Ashiq Awan previously served as a special assistant to Punjab chief minister during the Usman Buzdar government.
As a result, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has confiscated Firdous Ashiq Awan’s passport. On the other hand, the PTI leader has rejected the news.
Firdous Ashiq Awan was not off-loaded
Taking to Twitter, Firdous Ashiq Awan denied reports that she was escaping to Canada. She clarified that she was going to participate in the Women’s Peace Cup being held in Dubai on August 21 as a co-host.
سابق وفاقی وزیر ڈاکٹر فردوس عاشق اعوان نے بلیو پاسپورٹ پر کینیڈا جاتے ہوئے جہاز سے آف لوڈ کرنے کےحوالے سے خبروں اور پراپیگنڈا کی تردید کرتے ہوئے اسے مسترد کردیا ہے۔ڈاکٹرفردوس عاشق اعوان کا کہنا ہے کہ وہ یو اےای پاک پیس کرکٹ کپ ایونٹ میں شرکت کیلئے بلیو پاسپورٹ پر دبئی جا رہی تھیں pic.twitter.com/s7n1Ls6KjK
— Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan (@Dr_FirdousAwan) August 20, 2022
She said that according to the law, after being an MNA once, it is permissible to hold a blue passport and referred to a NA law regarding the matter.
“According to the National Assembly Rules, the use of Blue Passport is the privilege of current and former MNAs. With the assistance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Assembly Secretariat, visas were obtained on the Blue Passport, and traveling on the Blue Passport is a constitutional and legal privilege,” Firdous Ashiq Awan’s official Twitter account said.
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“She was not going to Canada and she was not offloaded. This is a complete lie and propaganda. Her entire political struggle is based on the observance of the constitution and the law,” the account added.