Capital admin assures PTI of permission to hold rally on Sept 8

ISLAMABAD: The Advocate General, Islamabad, has assured the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of permission to hold a public meeting on September 08 in the federal capital.

The contempt of court plea against the district administration for suspending the NOC for the PTI public meeting in Islamabad came up for hearing before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Aamir Farooq on Wednesday.

PTI’s counsel Shoaib Shaheen said that permission was granted for holding a public meeting but the NOC was suspended on the last day. The administration had submitted an affidavit for allowing the PTI to hold a public meeting on August 22.

Advocate General Ayyaz Shaukat appreciated the PTI leadership for postponing their August 22 public meeting. The IHC chief justice inquired if the NOC was suspended due to law & order situation. “We are in a state of war at present. What is happening in Balochistan is before all of us. You must have informed earlier about security concerns that there is a life threat to 20,000 or 25,000 participants of the public meeting. They are not so insensitive that they will put the people at risk. Why the administration tells on the last day. These people are supporters of one party but first of all they are human beings and citizens of Pakistan. People start coming from remote areas and later they come to know public meeting has been suspended. I saw in press that a meeting was held in Adiala jail early in the morning,” Justice Aamir remarked.

The court told the advocate general that the whole of Islamabad was shut, and cargo containers were stacked. “What is the reason that only Margalla Road is open with long queues [of vehicles] there. Those gathered there in connection with the case of Khatam-e-Nabuwwat have also gone. Now what would be the pretext to postpone the public meeting. Tell about that too. Will it look good that I issue show cause notice to the commissioner of Islamabad. If the public meeting is on September 8, then we are not disposing of this petition. We adjourn it till September 10,” the chief justice said.