SC terms petition against PTI’s planned long march on Islamabad as ‘infructuous’
Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday dismissed a petition to stop Haqeeqi Azadi March of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) - set to reach Islamabad in a few days - after declaring it ‘infructuous’.
A three-member SC bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ayesha A Malik and Justice Athar Minallah heard the petition filed by JUI Senator Kamran Murtaza in which he pleaded to stop PTI’s long march outside Islamabad.
Islamabad Advocate General Jahangir Jadoon appeared before the court.
During the hearing, CJP inquired what the Islamabad administration has done for the long march.
At this, the advocate general said that the capital’s administration received a letter from PTI seeking permission.
He added that the administration responded to the letter seeking a date, time, and place for the march but received no reply.
He noted that PTI leaders threatened ‘bloodshed’ after the Wazirabad incident following which the Islamabad administration refused to grant permission for the long march.
The advocate general also pointed out that the case regarding permission for the march was also pending in Islamabad High Court (IHC).
The court remarked that the executive holds excessive powers to take action if the law is violated.
Justice Athar Minallah asked the advocate general if the administration and Parliament would not be considered weak on court’s intervention.
Justice Ayesha A Malik said that the government should invigorate Islamabad administration to play its role.
The court stated that protests in Islamabad were a regular practice and asked if the government had approached the court against any other demonstrations.
The court remarked that there was no substantial point to issue a decree after what advocate general had told them.
The court declared the petition infructous and dismissed it.
