Supreme Court rejects govt’s plea to bar Imran Khan from planned long march on Islamabad
The Supreme Court on Thursday turned down government’s plea to stop ex-premier Imran Khan from staging a long march on Islamabad saying the court would not come into action unless there is going to be actual violation of law
The contempt of court petition against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief for violating the top court’s order on May 25 was heard by a five-member larger bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial.
Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Muneeb Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi were part of the five-member bench.
The chief justice barred the attorney general of Pakistan (AGP) from publicizing the report of sensitive agencies. He remarked that the government is free to secure any part of Islamabad and its primary job was to ensure that the rights of the citizens were not violated.
CJP set the violation of law as the only condition for judicial intervention saying that nobody was on the streets yet and the court would not interfere in political business.
The court adjourned further hearing of the case till next Wednesday.
The interior ministry filed an application against Imran Khan on October 12 for violating the Supreme Court’s order on May 25 during PTI’s Haqiqi Azadi March.
The petition said that Imran Khan is yet to stage another march towards Islamabad in defiance of the apex court’s order.
The government maintained that the Supreme Court had allowed Imran Khan to stage a peaceful protest, but PTI chairman is planning to attack Islamabad.
