SC tells govt protecting Red Zone is its responsibility; court won’t intervene

The Supreme Court Monday rejected a petition filed by the federal government seeking to restrain protesters from moving toward the Red Zone area of the capital, Islamabad.

Rejecting Attorney General Salman Butt’s petition seeking an order restraining the participants of the PTI’s Azadi March and PAT’s Inqilab March from heading toward the Red Zone, Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk said it was the government’s responsibility to handle any such situation.

AG Butt had expressed the government’s concern that the protesters might enter the diplomatic enclave as they had camped closer to the area on Sunday night.

Meanwhile, a five-member bench of the apex court headed by the chief justice sought a written reply from the federal government over Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Kamran Murtaza’s plea seeking a declaration that any extra-constitutional steps should be restrained in light of the present situation of the country. The AGP assured the bench that the government would submit a reply within 24 hours.

Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, while referring Article 5 and 6 of the Constitution, observed that the apex court could not allow anyone to deviate from the constitution, adding that every citizen is bound to protect the constitution under Article 5.

Justice Jawwad S Khawaja said that if any parliamentarian violates his oath, parliament must take notice over it, adding that the judiciary cannot intervene in every matter.

The SCBA president also informed the bench that he has moved another plea, and had submitted press clippings, regarding PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s announcement of civil disobedience. The chief justice said the court would take up the issue later.

The bench also directed its office to fix the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA)’s petition against the ‘Inqilab’ and ‘Azadi’ marches at the next hearing.