By Court Reporter
Islamabad: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has issued notices to the concerned parties in a petition challenging the appointment of Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan as the Prime Minister’s Coordinator for Tourism, terming the appointment unconstitutional and beyond legal authority.
The petition, filed as Writ Petition No. 132/2026 (Service) titled Muhammad Tahir vs Federation of Pakistan and Others, was taken up in the urgent and necessary cases and is scheduled for hearing on January 14, 2026.
The case is listed as Item No. 10 before Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir, and registered under HCR/CC No. 16775.
According to the petitioner, Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan has no professional background or association with the tourism sector, raising serious legal questions about his eligibility for the post.
The petition argues that the appointment constitutes a violation of the Constitution and amounts to a fraud on the law.
The petitioner maintained that under the Constitution, subjects such as tourism fall within the legislative domain of Parliament and the administrative authority of the federal government.
However, it was argued that tourism is not included in the Federal Legislative List (FLL), and therefore the federal government lacks constitutional competence to appoint a coordinator for the sector.
It was further contended that neither the Constitution nor the Rules of Business, 1973 provide any legal framework for the appointment of coordinators, rendering such appointments unlawful.
The petition also raised objections regarding alleged meetings of Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan with Israeli officials, despite Pakistan not recognizing Israel.
On these grounds, the petitioner requested the court to restrain him from performing official duties as the Prime Minister’s Coordinator for Tourism until the final disposal of the case.
After preliminary proceedings, the Islamabad High Court issued notices to the respondents and sought their responses. Further hearings are expected in due course.
