ISLAMABAD(National Times)- The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has been moved against the PTI’s planned sit-in and nationwide protest scheduled for Sept 27, with the petitioner apprehending disruption of routine life, traffic and business activities in the federal capital.
IHC Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar will hear the petition filed by citizen Waqas Ahmed on Tuesday.
The petitioner has made the inspectors general of police of all four provinces, Islamabad Police and Motorway Police, besides other relevant government authorities, as respondents. According to the petition, the PTI has announced a sit-in in Islamabad on Sept 27, which could cause inconvenience to citizens and commuters and adversely affect business activities in the capital.
The petitioner particularly raised concerns over the proposed participation of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, who, according to the PTI’s announcement, would lead the Islamabad-bound protest. The petition expressed apprehension that the resources and machinery of the provincial government could be utilised for political activity.
It sought directions to the provincial authorities not to involve themselves in any political activity and to confine themselves to their official responsibilities. The petitioner also sought appropriate directions to the respondents to ensure that the rights of ordinary citizens, commuters and business communities were not affected by the proposed protest. The petition came ahead of the PTI’s preparations for its Sept 27 mobilisation, which the party leadership declared would not remain confined to Islamabad.
CM invites lawyers
KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi spent the past few days in Sindh to mobilise the party supporters for the Sept 27 protest. Speaking at a convention organised by the Sindh High Court Bar Association on Monday, the CM, who reached Karachi despite hurdles, invited lawyers to participate in the PTI protest and maintained that his leader Imran Khan was standing firm for the future of the country and was not striking any deal for his release.
He said the Islamabad High Court had ordered his meeting with the party founder, while the Supreme Court had ordered hospitalisation of former premier, but that was to no avail. He added the judiciary was reluctant to timely fix the contempt applications for hearings.
The CM also complained about the obstacles on the route of his convoy. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari posted a welcome message on social media while his party’s government in Sindh placed obstacles in the way of his convoy and arrested the participants.
The CM apologised to the people of Sindh and Karachi for the inconvenience caused by his convoy’s movement. He, however, said the province already lacked adequate infrastructure and that even the available thoroughfares had been blocked.
Sept 27 protest
According to PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, the party’s call for Sept 27 is aimed at mobilising people across the country for the supremacy of the Constitution, rule of law, and release of PTI founder Imran Khan. He had clarified that demonstrations would be held in every city and district, maintaining that peaceful protest was a constitutional and legal right. “The people from every province and district would take to the streets as a nationwide, peaceful movement for their rights and the supremacy of the Constitution and law,” he had said.
Mr Raja had further said that the Sept 27 protest would be “Pakistan’s voice” and that the party would exercise what it considered its constitutional and legal right to hold peaceful demonstrations. He had also confirmed that KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi would lead the Sept 27 long march towards Islamabad, describing the planned mobilisation as a nationwide movement.
The preparations for the mobilisation have also seen the emergence of a volunteer organisation among PTI workers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Last week, a group of ideological PTI workers announced the formation of a volunteer unit called ‘Pasdaran-i-Azm Imran Khan Pakistan’ to assist participants and provide support during the Sept 27 long march. The announcement was made by PTI leader Daniyal Khan Afridi, along with other party workers, at a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club.
