A single bench of the court comprising Chief Justice of IHC Justice Athar Minallah conducted hearing of the petition moved by President PTI Islamabad chapter Ali Nawaz Awan.
The petitioner said that the administration of Islamabad deliberately closed the F-9 Park and was not permitting to place the screen there. It prayed the court to grant permission to hold a peaceful political gathering in the park.
During the hearing, the IHC bench directed the Assistant Attorney General to place the matter before the Deputy Commissioner ICT and also summoned a senior official of the district administration to appear before the court later afternoon the same day.
After a recession in proceeding, Additional Deputy Commissioner Rana Waqas appeared before the court and adopted the stance that PTI in its application requested for permission to hold demonstration for four to six weeks.
Justice Athar remarked that healthy political activities should not be stopped. He said that the court expected that the basic rights of the citizens would be protected and directed the administration to grant permission.
The petitioner stated that it is matter of utter shock for PTI and people of Pakistan living within Pakistan and overseas the way in which the legitimate democratic government of PTI was toppled with the active connivance and threat of external forces through all opposition parties, some PTI members through horse trading and its coalition partners and unfortunately were successful in their nefarious design.
Court remarks healthy political activities should not be stopped
He said that PTI despite international conspiracy of regime change shows utmost respect of the judgment of the Supreme Court and left the government but being convinced that all this happened is a conspiracy against Pakistan’s integrity, freedom and independence, its all elected members of National Assembly tendered their resignation as per party policy in order to record their peaceful and democratic protest again the unethical, illegal, unconstitutional act of regime change on the behest of external forces through internal collaborators.
The petition said that right after having knowledge about the regime change conspiracy, PTI has left no stone unturned to struggle for free and independent Pakistan qua going to people of Pakistan through rallies, public gathering and getting in touch with them by all means i.e. social media, electronic media, digital media etc.
It informed the court that PTI Islamabad is also holding peaceful public gathering for public awareness by using their constitutional right of freedom of speech and assembly at various locations in all cities across Pakistan and in this regard PTI is peacefully assembling in Fatima Jinnah Park, F-9, Islamabad.
It added that when the political workers of the petitioner went Fatima Jinnah Park on 20th of April, 2022 in order to arrange/manage necessary arrangement i.e. preparation of stage, SMD (s) and other even/festivity equipment(s), the respondents restrained them from doing so despite the fact that the petitioner had submitted an application in the office of deputy commissioner.
Therefore, it prayed to the court to direct the Deputy Commissioner to grant permission as per law to hold public gathering/assembly in Fatima Jinnah Park.