A constitutional petition against Tehreek-e-Minhajul Quran Chief Dr Tahir ul Qadri’s long march was moved in the Supreme Court on Tuesday. The petitioner, Arshad Mehmood, pleaded the apex court to stop the proposed long march, alleging that Qadri was attempting to establish a parallel system and impose his own ideology which was against the country’s law and Constitution. He said that articles 62, 63 and 218 did not allow such movement in the country, and added that the government should not allow anyone to make the federal capital a ‘Tehrir Square’. The petitioner has made Qadri, the federation of Pakistan and the Election Commission as respondents in the case. 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, the petition argued. A similar petition had been moved last Wednesday and Thursday pleading the Lahore High Court to stop Qadri’s planned march.
