Supreme Court takes suo motu notice of Islamabad dharna

ISLAMABAD:  The Supreme Court of Pakistan on  Tuesday took  suo motu notice of the  sit-in being  stated by a religious party at Faizabad Interchange.

According to Geo News, the apex court has issued notices to IG Islamabad, IG Punjab, Attorney General and  sought detailed reports from Interior and Defence secretaries. 

The Supreme Court has asked the authorities to explain what measures have been taken  to protect the basic  rights of people .

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday asked the government to explain as to why it had failed to clear the Faizabad Interchange of Tehreek Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) protesters.

The TLP leaders and activists have been picketing at the interchange since November 6, disrupting the routine life in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

"This is a very serious situation that despite a request to the leadership of the sit-in and directions given to the district administration, no material progress has been shown except negotiations, negotiations and negotiations," said Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, who heads the one-member bench of the Islamabad High Court.

The court served show-cause notices on secretary interior, IGP Islamabad, chief commissioner and deputy commissioner Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) seeking explanation as to why the protesters had not been removed from the interchange despite the November 17 directions.

Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal, accompanied by secretary interior, told the court  that maintaining law and order and protecting rights of the citizens was the government’s responsibility and it had all the will to implement the court orders.

He said since the court orders were with reference to the applicability and enforcement of law, therefore all endeavors had been made to implement the same, but since the issue was very sensitive and there was a genuine apprehension that the protesters might resist their eviction using arms, therefore, efforts had been made time and again to talk out the issue, but unfortunately no effort proved fruitful.

Ahsan Iqbal assured the court that the state writ will be enforced and the rights of citizens fully protected and restored. The minister said he was confident that the issue will be resolved in a couple of days. He requested the court to give more time to the government till Thursday.