LAHORE/ISLAMABAD - The main objective of the opposition is allegiance to the nation and not to the government while opposition’s right of expressing no-confidence against the government cannot be taken back, says a full bench of the Lahore High Court.
The bench headed by Justice Khalid Mahmood Khan issued notices to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri for November 28, while hearing petition against PTI sit-in on November 30.
As the proceedings commenced, petitioner’s counsel AK Dogar told the bench that opposition was not loyal to the nation and instead it was instigating the people at civil disobedience.
The petitioner further said that opposition also incited people to not pay taxes which showed that it wanted to derail the democratic system in the country. He said the state was run by martial law-led governments and not by the elected governments for most of the time in country’s history; perhaps, this was the reason that the nation was not so much familiar with the meaning of democracy.
On this, the bench asked the petitioner’s counsel that what the government did when the opposition announced civil disobedience movement. The counsel said the government did nothing as it did not take the previous order of the court much seriously.
The bench remarked that how the courts can interfere into the matter if the opposition itself failed to play its positive role and the government allowed public rallies despite court orders to stop them. The petitioner counsel stated that the PTI was again going to hold a public meeting against the government in Islamabad on November 30. He pleaded the court to stop PTI from holding the event as it can push the country into anarchy and unrest.
After hearing the arguments of the petitioner’s counsel, the bench issued notices to PTI chief Imran Khan and PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri again and adjourned proceedings until Nov 28.
On the other hand, Justice Mahmood Maqbool Bajwa of the LHC on Monday referred a petition to the Chief Justice to fix it before any other bench. Ghohar Nawaz Sindhu advocate had moved the petition submitting that the government was planning to take PTI workers into custody. Police, he stated, were harassing PTI workers which was illegal and unlawful. He pleaded the court to stop the government from taking PTI workers into custody.
In another related development, the Election Tribunal Monday directed Imran Khan to produce his witnesses for cross examination on the petition seeking vote recount in NA-122, the constituency from where Ayaz Sadiq, now National Assembly speaker, was elected against the PTI chief in the general elections of 2013.
Tribunal member Kazim Ali Malik was hearing the petition moved by Imran Khan, who had submitted that Ayaz Sadiq rigged the elections. The tribunal observed that the case would be decided without any delay and adjourned hearing until November 29.
Meanwhile, NA-122 Returning Officer Shahida Saeed rejected a request of Imran Khan’s counsel against inspection of whole record of the constituency. As the proceedings commenced, PTI chief’s counsel sought scrutiny of the record. However, the RO rejected the plea and issued fresh notices to all other candidates of NA-122 for Nov 25.
Ahead of his November 30 rally in the capital, PTI chief Imran Khan Monday gave warning shots to the federal government saying it should get ready to face consequences if force was used against the peaceful protesters to deny them their right to protest.
Khan’s warning came in the wake of local administration’s decision to seal the capital and block its different roads with shipping containers ahead of PTI’s rally. The government as security measures has called in extra and reserve police contingents.
Addressing participants of PTI sit-in in the capital on Monday night, Imran Khan said to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, “Listen to me carefully... this is not August 14 and the party has now changed. You [Nawaz and Nisar] would be responsible for the (bad) happenings in case the government tried to stop peaceful protesters.”
Ch Nisar had said more than once that no one would be allowed to hold rally in the Red Zone, the most sensitive area of Islamabad where important government installations are located. “If anyone had suspicion on the writ of the government, it should recall the August 31 night and if anyone attacked, the police would ensure the security of the Red Zone in the same manner as it did on that night,” Nisar had said while addressing a press conference.
While recalling the August 31 tear gas shelling and police torture, Khan said, “I will never forget that and will bring all those involved to justice one day.” He said party’s youth would not remain silent to torture of police and this movement would spread all across the country.