ISLAMABAD: Citing recurrent key traffic obstructions as evidence that the federal capital has seemingly evolved into a “container city,” the Islamabad High Court (IHC) intimated on Wednesday that it may issue a show-cause notice to the city’s chief commissioner.
These statements were delivered by Chief Justice Aamer Farooq during a contempt motion against the government for rescinding the opposition PTI’s “no-objection certificate” for a public meeting.
He pointed out that office workers endured everyday hardships in the absence of proper arraignments, with access to Constitution Avenue being restricted from all roads except than Margalla Road.
He added that the capital is all but closed because of the numerous containers and the lengthy lines they must wait in to get to Constitution Avenue, which takes 40 to 50 minutes to travel.
tells the Islamabad administration that any security concerns must be reported in advance to PTI.
He questioned why the district administration had closed major highways under various pretenses and advised calling the chief commissioner if things did not get better because, in the words of the chief justice, it was “not a desirable act.”
PTI Shoaib Shaheen, the party’s attorney, stated during the hearing that the party had anticipated the district administration would not permit any demonstration of power and that the NOC was abruptly revoked even though the district magistrate had provided the court with an undertaking to allow the August 22 jalsa.
When Justice Farooq questioned the Advocate General regarding the rationale behind the NOC’s revocation, the latter responded that it was done so in order to maintain law and order.
The chief justice of the IHC noted that the nation was in a state akin to war, as the situation in Balochistan was evident to all.
But he was upset that the district government had canceled the NOC just hours before the planned jalsa.
He claimed that the people who organized the public meeting were respectable individuals and political activists; after traveling great distances to get to the location, they discovered that the event had been canceled.
“You have to alert them as soon as there is a security risk. The chief justice declared, “The party leaders are accountable and they would not endanger the lives of thousands of party workers.”
In addition, he cited various news accounts concerning the early-morning meeting at Adiala Jail which resulted in the party calling off the jalsa.
This time, permission won’t be withheld.
The advocate general told the court that the NOC for September 8 had been issued by the district administration and gave the assurance that the permit would not be revoked this time. Judge Farooq, however, noted that the court would not rule on this issue and postponed the hearing until September 10.
