IHC orders stern action against law breakers during JUI-F rally

Court says district magistrates and law-enforcement agencies have duty to enforce law

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) ordered on Saturday for the strict implementation of the terms of the permission give to the political parties for holding a rally on the Srinagar Highway, as it disposed of a contempt of court plea against the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leaders.

The court directed the district administration to take stern action against the violators of the NOC [no-objection certificate] without any discrimination, saying that the district magistrates and the law-enforcement agencies have a duty to enforce the law.

The court further said that political parties and their leaderships had the legal obligation to strictly abide by the terms of the NOC granted to them. It added that the political parties and the leaders were bound by the law and they would be held responsible for the consequences in case of any violation of the NOC.

Islamabad Advocate General Niazullah Niazi had filed the contempt of court petition against the JUI-F leaders, including JUI-F Islamabad Ameer Maulana Abdul Majeed Hazarawi and Mufti Abdullah, on information that they had blocked the Srinagar Highway to hold a rally there.

The petition said that on March 17, a bench headed by IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah, had observed that the administration had the power to decide the matter pertaining to grating permission for public gatherings after looking into all aspects.

It added that the NOC was issued in the light of court directions but later reports came in from the special branch that the Srinagar highway was being blocked and a stage was being set up there for the JUI-F rally. This violation will affect people movement, education and business, the petition added.

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry later said that the IHC, at the request of the Interior Ministry, had directed the capital’s administration to keep roads open in any case. He asked the JUI-F to avoid road blocks.

Read MQM-P ‘agrees’ to back JUI-F on no-trust motion

The Islamabad administration had allowed the JUI-F to hold a rally in the capital on March 25, but the JUI-F had requested for a rally on March 26. The administration had directed the party to follow the standard operating procedures (SOPs) which stated that the Srinagar Highway should not be closed.

The JUI-F, while announcing the schedule of its anti-inflation march, had said that its caravans would enter Islamabad on the evening of March 26 and would gather on the Srinagar Highway. The administration had also issued a show-cause notice to the party.

The Islamabad advocate general Islamabad also submitted another report in the Supreme Court regarding the suspension of rallies of political parties before the no-confidence motion. It said that despite court orders and assurances, the JUI-F wanted to close service roads and the highway.

According to the police and special branch reports, Advocate General Niazi said, the JUI planned to march to the red zone, which potentially endangered the lives and property of people, and violated the NOC issued by the capital administration in the capital. He added that this could sabotage city’s peace.

A spokesperson for the Rawalpindi administration said that a control room had been set up to improve security arrangements and streamline the monitoring system in the wake of political rallies in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

Commissioner Noorul Amin Mengal said stressed that peace and order can be destroyed. He urged the masses to play their active role for the peace and security of the country by discouraging as well as identifying the elements who wanted to create disturbances.