Administrative problem: IHC disposes of petition against PTI dharna

Judge directs petitioners to approach city admin for solution

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court  on Monday disposed of a petition which sought the court’s intervention over the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) planned November 2 demonstration and to ensure that the city’s daily life is not hindered by the impending protest.

While disposing of the case, IHC’s Justice Aamer Farooq directed the petitioners to approach the district administration for solutions to their anticipated problems, if required.

Petitioners Muhammad Yaqoob and Shehzad Ahmed Mir, through their counsel Hasan Murtaza Mann, had approached the IHC after PTI Chairman Imran Khan had urged supporters to be ready for a “decisive sit-in in Islamabad” if Premier Nawaz Sharif does not present himself for accountability.

The court had questioned how the petitioners could know for sure if the protest would be peaceful or not. Further, Justice Farooq had said that the court cannot decide a matter merely on the basis of assumptions and statements given to the press.

The court had also noted that the petitioners had approached the court without first addressing the concerned forums. Mann had maintained that the petitioners just wanted that the situation created in the capital during the 2014 sit-in should not be repeated. To this, the court had replied that if the petitioners were willing, the matter could be sent to the chief commissioner.

While referring to the 2014 sit-in, the counsel said that in addition to administrative and economic losses caused by the protest, the “common man suffered badly – probably, the most.”

On Monday, the court finally disposed of the matter while directing the petitioners to approach the capital administration.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 25^th, 2016.