Justice Moosa K. Leghari of Sindh High Court on Friday issued notice to Deputy Attorney General and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for January 5, 2004 on application filed by French journalists Joel Marc Epstein and Jean Paul, working with weekly L'Express, charged with violating provision of Foreigners Act and currently on bail, praying to order trial court for release of their passports.
They were arrested in Karachi by FIA personnel on December 16, 2003 for visiting Quetta without visa in early December, 2003, and granted bail in the sum of Rs 100,000 each and PR Bond in like amount by High Court of Sindh on December 24, 2003.
Their bail applications were earlier rejected by session judge south, Karachi on December 20, 2003.
French journalists' advocate Nafis Siddiqui submitted before Justice Moosa K. Leghari that they could not obtain permission from government authorities for extension of stay in Pakistan beyond January 7, 2004, unless they produce their passports.
He further submitted that order of trial court in Karachi to deposit their passports (in trial court) was illegal and without jurisdiction and Sindh High Court has inherent jurisdiction to quash the same without their (applicants) approaching the trial court.
Nafis stated that they had valid visas up to March 28, 2004 and while making entry into Pakistan, the journalists were given permission of one-month stay, which expires on January 7, 2004.
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