Major Development in Petition against PTI’s Proposed September 27 Protest and Long March

A major development has emerged in a petition filed before the Islamabad High Court against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) proposed protest and long march scheduled for September 27. Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar, taking into account the seriousness of the matter, likened it to a constitutional crisis and decided to constitute a larger bench to hear the case.

According to details, Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar heard the petition filed by citizen Waqas Ahmed. During the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel argued before the court that the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had announced a protest and was planning to bring it to Islamabad, which, according to the counsel, could severely affect the livelihoods of citizens and the business community.

The lawyer presented newspaper clippings and statements made by PTI leaders before the court. Referring to previous protests, the deaths of Rangers personnel, and financial losses amounting to Rs240 million, the counsel argued that the Chief Minister was once again planning to come to Islamabad along with the government machinery.

The counsel further claimed that the primary objective of the protest was to put pressure on the courts to obtain relief, despite the fact that appeals and related cases, including the £190 million case, are already pending before the courts.

The lawyer also presented a letter from the federal Ministry of Interior and argued that the Constitution clearly guarantees the independence of the judiciary. He maintained that there is no legal provision allowing a convicted person to obtain judicial relief through protests and therefore urged the court to stop the proposed protest.

At this, Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar asked, “Is the Chief Minister actually coming to Islamabad along with the government machinery?” The lawyer replied in the affirmative. Considering the sensitivity of the matter and its constitutional implications, the Chief Justice ordered the formation of a larger bench to hear the case.

The court also issued notices to the Attorney General for Pakistan, as well as the Inspectors General of Police and Advocates General of all four provinces, summoning them in person at the next hearing .The Islamabad High Court adjourned further proceedings on the important petition concerning the PTI protest until September 10.