IHC rebukes govt for closing city during PTI protest
Pakistan
Justice Farooq directs Ministry of Interior to submit a detailed report
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - The Islamabad High Court (IHC) chief justice on Wednesday expressed anger towards the government and administration, stating, "You were supposed to maintain law and order, but instead, you shut down the entire city of Islamabad. If PTI did wrong, the government did wrong as well."
Chief Justice Amer Farooq made these remarks during the hearing of a contempt of court petition filed by Islamabad's traders against PTI's Nov 24 protest.
He added that the petitioners had requested the court to allow their businesses to continue.
The government had publicly stated that it was not permitting activities in accordance with the IHC’s order, which emphasised the protection of fundamental rights of citizens, traders, and protesters.
The chief justice remarked, "You were supposed to restore peace, but you closed down the whole city. I will ask the PTI why they violated court orders, but the government also did wrong. What was the fault of the petitioners? Why were their businesses shut down?"
Justice Farooq instructed the Ministry of Interior to submit a detailed report.
During the proceedings, DSP Legal Sajid Cheema and state counsel Malik Abdul Rehman appeared in court. Malik Abdul Rehman informed the court that some reports had been received, but others were still pending.
The chief justice expressed his frustration, asking, "Are you appearing in court for the first time? The city was shut down so completely that even judges could not reach courts. I became a victim of my own order. I will also ask them, what was the fault of ordinary citizens in the government’s conflict?"
The court adjourned the case until next week, directing the Ministry of Interior to submit a report.
