PTI, govt both at fault, says IHC CJ on Nov 24 protest

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court (IHC) Aamer Farooq on Wednesday strongly criticised both the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the government for their disregard of citizens rights during and after the November 24 protest.

Hearing a contempt petition filed by traders, the IHC CJ remarked, “PTI was wrong and so was the government,” as he questioned the actions of both sides.

Censuringa the government for shutting down Islamabad, Justice Farooq said: “You were supposed to maintain peace but you locked down the entire city.”

Referring to the IHC’s November 21 order, Justice Farooq underscored the court had explicitly instructed the authorities to uphold the fundamental rights of citizens, traders and protesters.

Turning his attention to PTI, the IHC CJ said he would also seek answers for their non-compliance of court orders. “What was the petitioners fault? Why were their businesses forced shut?” he asked.

Sharing his personal inconvenience, the top IHC judge said, “Islamabad was locked down in such a way that even judges, including myself, could not enter.” Chief Justice Aamer Farooq added, “I had fallen victim to my own order.” The court directed the Ministry of Interior to file a comprehensive report on the events and adjourned the hearing till next week.

The petition filed by traders emphasized the economic losses caused by prolonged roadblocks and demanded accountability from both parties.