IHC slams gov for Islamabad lockdown during PTI protest

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Aamer Farooq on Wednesday expressed dismay over the government’s actions during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), holding it responsible for exacerbating the situation on November 24.

“You were supposed to maintain law and order, but instead, you shut down the entire city,” he told the state counsel during the hearing of a contempt petition filed by Islamabad traders against the lockdown during the PTI protest.

The petitioners had argued that their businesses were severely disrupted due to the citywide lockdown.

Chief Justice Farooq noted that the administration had publicly stated it was denying protest permission in light of the IHC orders. “The court had instructed you to ensure the fundamental rights of citizens, traders and protesters alike,” he said. He said that the PTI would also be questioned for violating court directives.

The chief justice criticised the government for its handling of the situation. “If PTI acted wrongly, so did the government. Why should the petitioners suffer? Why were their businesses forced to shut down?”

State Counsel Malik Abdur Rehman informed the court that some reports had been submitted while others were still pending.

Chief Justice Farooq admonished the state counsel for his lack of preparedness. “Is this your first court appearance? These expert opinions should have been shared earlier. You locked down Islamabad so completely that even I couldn’t reach the court. I became a victim of my own orders,” he observed.

The court directed the Ministry of Interior to submit a comprehensive report and adjourned the hearing until next week.

It should be remembered that the IHC had instructed the federal government and local administration to designate a specific area for the PTI to carry out their protest.

The directive was issued by Chief Justice Amir Farooq during the hearing of petition of the traders.

The IHC chief justice had expressed concern over the extensive restrictions imposed across the city, including the shutdown of mobile networks, which obstructed emergency communications. He had told the authorities to restore normalcy in Islamabad at the earliest.

PTI supporters had arrived Islamabad in caravans and convoys from various parts of the country to hold a sit-in at D-Chowk on October 24 but they had left the capital after the government launched a crackdown.

Police and law enforcement agencies cordoned off D-Chowk and adjacent areas, including Jinnah Super and Super Market. The protesters were then pushed towards the G-6 and G-7 sectors.