Islamabad High Court (IHC) Thursday directed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to approach Islamabad deputy commissioner for seeking permission for holding a public meeting on November 30 in Islamabad.
A single bench of IHC comprising Justice Athar Minallah took up for hearing petitions filed by PTI Secretary General Jahangir Tareen and Asad Omar MNA against arrest of PTI leaders and workers, police harassment and imposition of Section 144 by Islamabad administration. PTI’s counsel Farrukh Dall and Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Faisal Rafiq appeared in the court.
Dall told the court that Tareen and Omar have challenged in court imposition of Section 144 in Islamabad. PTI is going to hold a large public meeting on November, 30 against polls rigging while police has started harassing PTI leadership and workers. Police is conducting raids on the homes of PTI workers and harassing them “illegally”.
Justice Minallah said that granting permission to hold a public meeting did not fall in the domain of the judiciary and the court could not interfere in district management’s affairs. Terror-related incidents are already taking place in the country and law and situation is also not satisfactory, thus controlling law and order situation in Islamabad is responsibility of district administration, he added.
The court said that PTI should contact Islamabad deputy commissioner (DC) to seek permission for holding public meeting. PTI leadership can resolve the matters with reconciliation by holding a meeting with district management.
On PTI’s workers’ alleged harassment, Justice Minallah said that the district administration could not take any illegal action. “If your reservations are not allayed there then you can resort to the court again.”
“A constitutional petition was filed by Aabpara traders seeking court orders for stopping PTI public meeting. The court had directed the petitioner to approach DC Islamabad as it is the proper forum on this count,” he added.
The court adjourned the hearing of the petitions for a day
