Pti’s Rally: LHC to hear plea against ‘lockdown’

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court chief justice has formed a full bench to hear a petition against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s call to shut down Islamabad on November 2. Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah on Monday constituted the full bench comprising Justice Shahid Hamid Dar, Justice Anwarul Haq and Justice Qasim Khan. The proceedings will start tomorrow (October 26). Advocate AK Dogar had filed the petition on behalf of the Lawyers’ Foundation for Justice, submitting Imran Khan had been constantly trying to overthrow an elected government. He said the Supreme Court, parliament, cabinet secretariat and all offices of the government would become dysfunctional if Islamabad was shut down. The fundamental right of speech and expression under Article 19 of the Constitution was not an absolute right but subject to security, integrity, defence of the country, public order and morality, the petitioner submitted, requesting the court to restrain the PTI chief from locking down the capital city.

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