F-9 Park: IHC moved for relocation of rally venue

Petitioner says PTI gathering ‘will destroy park’s beauty’

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has been moved for relocation of site of a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s rally.

The gathering is scheduled to be held at F-9 Park on April 24 as part of celebrations of the party’s foundation day.

A petitioner has approached the IHC arguing the political gathering will destroy natural beauty of the park.

Petitioner Dr Waheed Mehmood Khan has requested the court to direct the respondents to relocate venue for the gathering and that the PTI might be provided with an alternate place to hold the event.

Ministry of Interior secretary, the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) chief commissioner, Islamabad Police inspector general, Capital Development Authority chairperson, Environmental Protection Agency director general and the PTI through its chairman Imran Khan, have been cited as respondents.

Petitioner’s counsel Yasir Mehmood Chaudhry said that as a resident of Islamabad, Dr Waheed had serious apprehensions that a large political gathering of the PTI would destroy the natural beauty of the park that would not be possible to restore during the entire season.

Islamabad residents have already suffered a lot during the last two years from the affects of such political gatherings and protests. A number of greenbelts still needed to be restored.

Superior courts in number of judgments observed that parks, playgrounds and other public places could only be utilised for the purposes for which they originally meant.

Petitioner said that places had a prior right for all citizens across the country to breathe fresh air and to enjoy with family and friends.

Everybody has a right to express themselves but under its pretext no one should and must be allowed to jeopardise the rights of other citizens, he said.

The petitioner has prayed before the court to direct the respondents to relocate the venue for the gathering.

He has also sought directions for chalking out a permanent future policy in this regard to safeguard the rights of the petitioner and other citizens.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 20^th,  2016.