Lahore High Court (LHC) Justice Umer Ata Bandial on Tuesday sought a detailed report from the Punjab chief secretary until January 13 on a contempt of court petition against rallies of nurses on The Mall in violation of the ban imposed by the court.
The senior judge, while hearing the contempt petition filed by Mall Road Traders Association President Naeem Mir, observed that holding of rallies was one of the fundamental rights of the people under a democracy system and citizens could not be deprived of the basic right of protest enshrined in the constitution. But the judge said in the civilised world, protests were held only on holidays at places specifically demarcated for such protests so that the public at large might not face hardships by the congregation of protests.
The judge held that The Mall was the main road of the city where in case of protests, citizens faced difficulties and get trapped in the traffic mess and business activities also suffered.
In the contempt of court petition, the traders association made the chief secretary, home secretary, IGP and the DCO as party on negligence in stopping protests on The Mall and failure of the Punjab government to allocate an alternate place for protests.
