KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday directed the Karachi-East Deputy Commissioner to decide on the PTI’s request for holding a public meeting at Bagh-e-Jinnah by October 7.
The PTI had filed a petition after its request for the event was denied by the district administration.
“Why is the PTI not being granted permission for the public meeting, and why is the matter pending?” Justice Yousuf Ali Sayeed asked during the hearing.
The Deputy Commissioner (DC) of East district responded that the meeting was not allowed due to a lack of security clearance. When asked who was withholding the clearance, the DC mentioned that intelligence reports had raised concerns about a potential terrorism threat at the event.
Justice Sayeed noted that during a previous hearing, the court had requested the intelligence reports and the minutes of the related meeting.
The SSP East explained that intelligence agencies and the district administration had discussed the security concerns in a meeting, which led to the decision to deny the event.
The court suggested that permission could be granted for the event at an alternate venue.
The government lawyer argued that the PTI aimed to create unrest, and thus, permission should not be granted. However, Justice Sayeed warned the lawyer against making such statements, saying it could lead to opening a “Pandora’s Box.” The bench stated that permission should be issued, and if any laws are broken, authorities could take action.
Despite this, the Deputy Commissioner reiterated that the PTI should not be allowed to hold a rally anywhere in Karachi.
Justice Sayeed requested the minutes of the meeting that highlighted the security threat. The PTI, represented by Barrister Ali Tahir, informed the court of its plan to hold the meeting on October 13. The court summoned both the SSP East and DC East on October 7.
