ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday returned the constitutional petition of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), seeking directions for the federal and Punjab governments to allow the party to hold a peaceful protest in Islamabad.
The apex court’s registrar office noted that the petitioner did not approach the appropriate forum to redress the grievances.
The SC’s registrar office returned the petition after raising objections that a similar issue had already been decided in the Islamabad High Court Bar Association case.
The registrar office said the Supreme Court has already given a verdict on the point raised in the petition. The top court’s registrar objected that the Supreme Court cannot take up the matter that has been already decided.
It also raised the objection the petition contained scandalous matter in certain paras.
The PTI filed the petition, seeking to bar the incumbent government from using force, coercive measures or ‘intimidation tactics’ such as raiding homes of party workers, unlawful restrictions and blocking entry points.
The constitutional petition, filed under Article 184(3) through Ali Zafar, termed the recent arrests a breach of fundamental rights of free movement, peaceful protest, association, assembly and freedom of speech.
The PTI in its plea asked the apex court to direct federal and provincial governments against violent measures against the peaceful marchers in future besides also issuing directives to the inspector generals of police (IGs) against the arrest of leaders and activists of the PTI.
In earlier verdict, the top court allowed PTI to stage a protest at Islamabad’s H-9 and stopped the government from carrying out raids on houses and offices when Imran Khan led his long march towards Islamabad on May 25.
In its orders, the apex court also stated that PTI supporters “have demonstrated from their past conduct that they will be peaceful in the exercise of their constitutional rights”.
The order maintained that the recent and ongoing actions of the government “are arbitrary, illegal, discriminatory, unlawful, and in violation of law as well as the letter and spirit of the Constitution”.
