A petition was filed in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday, seeking court orders to stop both the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and the opposition parties from holding public gatherings at D-Chowk situated in Islamabad’s Red Zone, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
Making secretary Establishment Division, interior secretary, chief commissioner, deputy commissioner (DC) and inspector general of Police (IGP), Islamabad respondents, Advocate Muhammad Asif Gujjar, the petitioner, prayed to the court to bar the parties from holding gatherings in the Red Zone since it was the IHC, which had in the past allowed political parties to hold protest demonstrations or organize rallies at Parade Ground, not far away from the D-Chowk.
The petitioner went on to say that the Lahore High Court had decreed that there would be no political activities on The Mall, Lahore.
“Therefore, there is no logic behind organising mass rallies in the capital city’s Red Zone,” he argued.
Giving reasons why there should be no such gatherings at D-Chowk, Advocate Gujjar said this was because it would obstruct lawyers from going to the Supreme Court (SC). “Thus the doctrine of ‘Access to Justice’ is compromised,” he contended.
Reporter: Ihtesham Kiani