A constitutional petition was moved in the Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday against the January 14 long march to be orchestrated by Tehreek-e-Minhajul Quran chief Dr Tahirul Qadri.
The petitioner, advocate Arshad Mehmood pleaded the apex court to call off the proposed long-march alleging that Tahir-ul-Qadri was attempting to establish a parallel system and imposing his own ideology on the populace. Arshad said that Qadri’s long march was against the laws and constitution of the country. He said that articles 62, 63 and 218 do not decree any such uprising, adding that the government should not allow anybody to transform Islamabad into Tehrir-Squire.
The petitioner made Tahirul Qadri, federation of Pakistan and Election Commission of Pakistan as respondents. Arshad argued “any attempt to establish a parallel legislative body seeking to overrule and overthrow the parliament would be a direct challenge to the sovereignty of Pakistan which this court is duty bound to defend”.
Earlier, Dr Qadri had vowed to lead a march of millions to Islamabad and enforce electoral reforms before the upcoming general election. Petitions against Qadri’s plan were also tabled in the Lahore High Court, last Wednesday and Thursday, and the court was pleaded to stop Dr Tahirul Qadri’s “anti-democracy march”.
SC, LHC moved against Qadri’s Jan 14 march
