SC asked to stop Imran from staging dharna in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court was requested on Wednesday to restrain Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan from staging sit-in (dharna) and to close Islamabad on November 2.

Tariq Asad advocate has filed an application for interim relief under Rule 6 of the Supreme Court Rules  While seeking interim relief, he prayed the apex court to direct the secretary, Ministry of Interior, to restrain the PTI workers from assembling in Islamabad. 

He submitted that it is to be determining by the apex court as to whether the call of Imran is not beyond the scope of their right to freedom of movement and right to freedom of assembly guaranteed to them under Articles 15 and 16 of the Constitution respectively.

He said that recently Imran Khan has threatened to close Islamabad, and, for that purpose, he is planning with his party workers to make arrangements and has invited the members of PTI to contribute funds to incur expenses for closing Islamabad and the sit-in.  He contended that Islamabad is not his personal estate to close and the residents of Islamabad are not his slaves to torture them unilaterally by calling his workers from all over Pakistan and make their lives miserable like hell e.g. to deprive them of their business; to close the educational institutions of their children; to restrain them from working in their offices, private or public; to block their roads restraining their rights of way and movements; to deprive the patients of their treatments from hospitals; to deprive the laborers from doing their labour to earn their livelihood.

“It has to be determined by this Hon. Court whether he is above law and all the organs of State are helpless before him? Is he free to do whatever he likes to in violation of the fundamental rights of the citizens, to destroy the economy of the State and cause irreparable loss to the public exchequer?” Tariq Asad contended  He said that Islamabad is being governed by rule of law and its residents are entitled to enjoy their fundamental rights guaranteed by the 1973 Constitution.