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Govt ready to deal with Nov 2 situation, court told

By our correspondents
October 28, 2016

LAHORE

The federal government told the Lahore High Court on Thursday that it was fully prepared to deal with any situation arising from Nov 2 ‘lockdown’ of Islamabad planned by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

During hearing of a petition against the PTI’s Islamabad lockdown call before a full bench, Additional Attorney General Naseer Ahmad Bhutta said the government would not allow any hooliganism in Islamabad.   The law officer said the government was fully alive and conscious to the situation knowing well how to deal with the upcoming affairs.

Bhutta said locking a city was a cognisable offence and the government could exercise relevant laws if deemed necessary. He argued that freedom of association was subject to law.

Justice Shahid Hameed Dar was heading the bench along with Justice Muhammad Anwarul Haq and Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan. In a dialogue with the law officer, the bench regretted that the government had failed to establish its writ during 2014 protest/sit-in by PTI. The government could not control the situation at the crucial hours, the bench observed when Bhutta said cases were registered against the protesters involved in attacking government buildings. However, Bhutta said the government did not want any bloodshed at that time.

Earlier, Advocate AK Dogar continued his arguments on behalf the petitioner emphasising that state and the government were synonym terms. And Imran Khan had been involved in inciting people against the lawfully elected government. He said the state must establish its writ and ‘unconstitutional’ protest by the political party should not be permitted.

Responding to a court’s query, Advocate Dogar conceded that had the government responded to the demands of the Opposition the Nov 2 like situation would not have emerged. The bench would resume further hearing on Friday (today) or Monday following the availability of PTI’s counsel Ahmad Awais.