ISLAMABAD - The Islamabad High Court was Tuesday approached by a petitioner seeking its directives for Islamabad administration to take action against a prolonged sit-in at the Faizabad Interchange of twin cities.

The petition also prayed to the court that the lawful protestors may be confined to the place adjacent to the Islamabad Highway with the name of “Democracy Park and Speech Corner” as notified in accordance with law.

A single bench of IHC comprising Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui will take up the petition today (Wednesday) seeking court’s directives for Islamabad administration to enforce the writ of law and action against the protestors for blocking the main roads and creating nuisance for the public at large. 

The petitioner Rana Abdul Qayyum Advocate moved the court through his counsel Inamul Rahim Advocate and nominated Federation of Pakistan through Secretary Ministry of Interior, Inspector General (IG) Islamabad Police, Chief Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner Islamabad as respondents.  He adopted in his petition that the sit-in under the leadership of a Lahore-based cleric Khadim Hussain Rizvi is violating fundamental rights of the citizens of Islamabad, Rawalpindi and surrounding areas. Rana informed the court that participants of the sit-in who had blocked the roads, stopped him while he was returning to home situated in Ghuri Town from District Courts Islamabad on November 10.

“They were armed with rods and sticks and did not let any vehicle or motorcycle to pass through the Express Highway. When the petitioner asked them the reason for blocking the public road, they started hurling filthy abuses at the petitioner and lawyers in general.

They held the petitioner from the neck and threw him on the ground and started beating him with sticks and kicks and punches and kept saying that you are “munafiq” and “Kafir”.”

He added that a “Pir Sahab” who “came and picked up him with the help of other men and threw him in a van and again started beating him with sticks and punches. “The self-styled pir was saying that “this lawyer is an apostate and he should be killed and should not be left,” Rana submitted.

Petitioner continued that he was then taken to other side of the bridge where two other persons were also lying injured where he was beaten again, adding then a man with a white beard came and started inquiring the petitioner to whom he told that he is retired from the Pakistan Air Force as the chief Warrant Officer and since then he is a practicing lawyer.

He further said that the person introduced himself as a retired Chief Tech Officer of Pakistan Air Force and his name was Hafeez who claimed to be in-charge of the sit-in while provided cell number to the petitioner.

Qayyum said that he was freed on the condition of bringing his ex-servicemen colleagues in the evening to join their sit-in whereas his mobile phone, wallet and motorcycle were also handed over.

The petitioner contended that the sit-in has curbed the rights of the people, because these non-state actors have blocked the main entry route between Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

He argued that due to the illegal sit-in, the petitioner along with other residents of Islamabad cannot travel to their workplaces and students cannot go to their educational institutions.