A court in Islamabad formally accused former Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas of misusing a diplomatic passport on Thursday. Ilyas pleaded not guilty to the accusation.
Judicial Magistrate Ahmed Shehzad Gondal read the charges against the former leader, who denied any misconduct. The court then requested witnesses for the prosecution to appear at the next hearing, scheduled for October 6.
Earlier court proceedings revealed that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) suspects Ilyas of utilizing his diplomatic passport for international travel after his resignation as prime minister. The prosecution argues that his trip to Saudi Arabia on the said passport violated the law, as he was no longer authorized to use it after leaving office. Ilyas, supported by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), was elected as AJK’s 14th Prime Minister in 2022.