Mall Road protest case: Make law on protests on The Mall: LHC

LAHORE: A Lahore High Court full bench on Monday ordered the Punjab government to initiate legislation process to cater protests activities on Mall Road in line with Article 15 and 16 of the Constitution, which guarantee freedom of peaceful movement and assembly.

The bench headed by Justice Aminuddin Khan issued this order while hearing petitions of local traders and individuals against protests, rallies and sit-ins on the Mall Road citing financial loss to businessmen and travel chaos faced by citizens.

Justice Shahid Jamil Khan, a member of the bench, showed concern over the blockade of Mall Road from Governor House whenever a protest took place on Charing Cross.Earlier, a provincial law officer told the bench that the sit-in by lady health workers on Charing Cross, Mall Road had been ended as government promised to redress their grievances.

The law officer pointed out that the government designated Nasser Bagh for the purpose of holding protests and also made basic facilities like water and toilets available there for the protesters. He said the government had also taken up the matter with relevant authorities to prohibit media coverage of the protests on the Mall Road.

When asked about the legislation on the issue, the law officer sought time from the court to submit a detailed reply. The bench allowed the request and directed the government to make legislation on the issue keeping in view the citizens’ rights to peaceful movement and assembly. The bench would resume hearing on April 19.

The petitioners had contended that the regular sit-ins and protests on the Mall Road had been causing great problems to citizens and the traders as well. They said despite a policy made by the provincial government the protests, rallies and sit-ins on the prohibited area had never been stopped.

The petitioners argued that the government was saddled with the responsibility to regulate and control processions, rallies and sit-ins on the Mall Road to avoid infringement of peaceful movement and trading activities of the citizens.

They pointed out that a suicide attack was also carried out at a protest on the Mall Road during the recent past claiming lives of police officers and common citizens. However, they said the government remained failed to ensure implementation of its policy against the protests in letter and spirit.

Meanwhile, Justice Ayesha A Malik referred to the full bench a petition moved by a lawyer for designating Grater Iqbal Park for the holding of protest activities.Advocate Rana Ilmuddin Ghazi pleaded in his petition that citizens face severe problems in daily life due to frequent protests held on main roads of the city. He said that the government should be directed to declare Greater Iqbal Park/Minar-i-Pakistan a designated place for protests like Hyde Park of London.