Islamabad High Court to form larger bench to hear petition against PTI protest
The Islamabad High Court in Pakistan decided to form a larger bench to hear a petition against the nationwide protest planned by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party for September 27. The court described the case as sensitive and noted that it could cause a constitutional crisis, Dawn reports.
The next hearing was scheduled for September 10. The court also issued notices to the police chiefs of all four Pakistani provinces and other officials, requiring their personal attendance.
Petition against the PTI action
PTI announced a protest for September 27, demanding the release of party founder Imran Khan and mobilizing supporters to defend the supremacy of the Constitution. The petition was filed by Islamabad resident Waqas Ahmed. His lawyer, Akhtar Chhina, said that the client conducts business in the capital and is directly affected by the planned demonstration.
The lawyer explained that the action in Islamabad is to be led by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi. According to the plaintiff's representative, this could disrupt the city's normal life, traffic and business operations.
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Chhina argued that street pressure should not be used to obtain judicial relief in cases already pending before the courts. He also said that, as of the hearing, no application for permission to hold the protest had been submitted to the Islamabad district magistrate.
Who was summoned to court
Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar heard the plaintiff's side's initial arguments. The court then ordered the formation of a larger bench and summoned Pakistan's attorney general, the chief secretaries and inspectors general of police of the four provinces.
The Islamabad chief commissioner, the capital's deputy commissioner, the Islamabad police chief, and the advocates general of the four provinces and the capital are also required to attend the hearing.
During the hearing, the plaintiff's lawyer referred to the PTI protest in November 2024. According to him, clashes between protesters and security forces took place in Islamabad at that time, while media reported deaths among participants in the action and security personnel, as well as losses of approximately 240 million rupees. The lawyer cited these claims in support of his position regarding the planned protest.
