The court as umpire 

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Preparing for November 2

 

In matters related to determining the legality of an action the only umpires recognised by the constitution are the courts. Organising protest marches is no doubt a right of the political parties. Equally important is the obligation to ensure that these do not put curbs on the rights of those not participating in them. Among the things that have to be shared with the administration is the route of a march or the venue of a sit-in and the time it will take to end. There is however no place in democracy for a dharna aimed at blocking the roads of a city and that too for days, thus restricting the movement of the population and stopping the children from attending the schools.

 

The verdict delivered by Islamabad High Court bars both the government and the PTI from blocking the arteries of Islamabad either by containers and by police personnel or by the activists of the PTI. The PTI has already unfolded plans to block all these arteries to ensure a lockdown of the capital. It has also revealed plans to counter police violence with retaliation by specially trained groups of activists. The language being used by Khan about almost every politician opposing the sit-in, belonging to the ruling party or the opposition, was creating an environment where clashes were imminent. The statement by a party leader about the need for offering blood to bring change causes doubts about the protest remaining peaceful

 

The ruling party should avoid playing the Russian roulette which is harmful for the system. The government’s relations with the army are less than cordial after the delay in unearthing the source of the ‘sensitive’ leak to a newspaper reporter. The government is not only confronting the PTI but also the rest of the opposition. There is a need on it part to accept the ToRs suggested by the PPP for a way out of the crisis.

 

5 COMMENTS

  1. Nobody stopped PTI from protest and gather 1M or more people. There was no need to give shutdown call and just call a peaceful protest and let the people come in millions. Previously as well PTI has done this but couldn’t show such Nos.
    Very good and brave decision by the court, shutdown the capital or any other public is not acceptable.

  2. Our rights have seriously been taken away by PML N Police. But why are the courts interfering in public affairs? At present We don’t see Government anywhere except on streets beating women and children.

  3. If the court refuses to do anything by becoming a silent spectator, when it comes to the epidemic of loot, corruption, injustice and void of rule of law by corrupt rulers, it has lost all moral and legal authority as a court. On the other hand if the court acts againt demonstration by forces sick and tired of corruption, loot and void of rule of law, than the court is not only exercising bias, it is openly seen to be selective and biased. Extraordinary problems need extraordinary solutions.

    • Who are you to declare Court rulings null and void or declare it dysfunctional. Only Hooligans working for Imran Khan utter such words. Read full IMF report to see how Pakistan is back on the growth path with positive and improving macro economic indicators. How can things be so rosy if rulers are really corrupt and eating up the core? Use your common sense any time. Obviously you're not grown up to understand facts. Like your leader, a former cricketer and playboy, only understands cricket.

  4. A leader who last winter gave a call for civil disobedience and urged people not to deposit taxes and bills, in other words, turn Pakistan into defaulted state is now urging his young cricket loving followers to lock down Federal Capital and halt all exits to cripple the Federal Capital, its embassies, institutions and Strategic organizations. This cricketer cum leader needs some serious bashing.

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