The long march: Petition to stop Qadri sent to CJ

Barrister Jafree says that holding a peaceful protest is a constitutional right.


Our Correspondent January 12, 2013
Barrister Jafree filed a writ petition in the LHC saying fool-proof security should be provided to the participants of Qadri’s long march. PHOTO: EXPRESS/ FILE

LAHORE: Justice Nasir Saeed Sheikh of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday turned down a plea to stop Dr Tahirul Qadri’s long march slated for January 14 and referred the petition to Chief Justice (CJ) Umar Ata Bandial to be heard with similar other petitions already pending before the court.

Pakistan Lawyers Forum’s AK Dogar had filed the petition which said Dr Qadri should not be allowed to hold a long march. He added that the long march being taken out by a ‘foreign national’ will cause instability and harm democracy.

Advocate Dogar prayed to the court to issue a restraining order against the long march.

Meanwhile, Barrister Javed Iqbal Jafree had filed a writ petition in the LHC on Friday saying fool-proof security should be provided to the participants of Qadri’s long march.

Barrister Jafree said that holding a peaceful protest was a constitutional right of every citizen which could not be usurped in any case. He said Interior Minister Rehman Malik should be asked to disclose what evidence he had of a likely terrorist attack on the long march. He said Malik was trying to dissuade people from participating in the long march.

He requested the court to order the federal government to provide security for the long march.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 12th, 2013.

COMMENTS (6)

ishrat salim | 11 years ago | Reply

Dear all...if Dr Qadri`s call for long march etc; was against the law and constitution of Pakistan..all those numerous petitions made to several courts all over Pakistan would not have been thrown out of court....his call is legitimate & legal & within the law of land....why are you people getting into " panic mode" like all other politicians ? why attack him personally, attack his demands & prove it if it is wrong....all that media & vested people are doing is to attack a personality..because they have no way to defend against his demands which has opened the eyes of the poor general people....was there no such rallies in the past ? but no one was in such panic as it is evident today...why, because what Dr Qadri is saying is right...go into substance not his personality.....

ET would request you to publish my comment as truth must prevail.....thank you.

stevenson | 11 years ago | Reply

@SHB: This Tahir Qadri ran away to Canada and pledged allegiance to the Queen there in order to become a citizen - this despite his involvement in Pakistani politics with several leaders. This reflects his character of being opportunistic because now he feels he can come back and disrupt elections and bring instability to the country. If a Canadian citizen tried to black mail the Canadian government in Canada, he would be jailed but Tahirul Qadri thinks he is above the law in Pakistan. He should be deported to Canada.

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