KARACHI: Tehreek-e-Insaf could not get permission to hold a rally in Bagh Jinnah on April 28. The Sindh High Court has directed the administration to give a reasonable reason for denying the permission to the PTI’s request for permission to hold a rally.
A two-member bench headed by Chief Justice Sindh High Court, Justice Aqeel Ahmad Abbasi, heard the petition regarding the denial of permission for PTI’s rally.
The Deputy Commissioner of Eastern District submitted the report to the court. The report said that permission for the meeting was denied in the light of the police report. The police have said in their report that there have been incidents of terrorism in the city and there are more terror alerts, so public gatherings should not be allowed.
The Chief Justice inquired from the Additional Advocate General Sindh whether he had given permission to hold the meeting. Additional Advocate General Rao Saifullah stated that there are threats of terrorism and the SSP East report has also come, there has been an explosion in Malir and there are more threats.
The Chief Justice remarked that it was not fun to see the report, the point is that you people did not allow them to hold a rally and this is what they also think. How long will these things improve and you will allow them to meet?
The public advocate stated that one month time is being told. The Chief Justice inquired whether there was any meeting in the city recently. Barrister Ali Tahir took the position that 2 days ago, the Central Muslim League held a rally on Shahrah Qaidin. The Deputy Commissioner said that we did not allow anyone to hold a rally.
Chief Justice Aqeel Ahmad Abbasi remarked that they should also be allowed to hold a meeting without permission, may Allah know this, you should sit in your offices. Tell me, what action did you take for gathering without permission, did you use batons, did you use rangers? Talk to your elders, don’t be so cruel, we can’t be part of you. If you give a reasonable reason for disallowing permission, we will support you. Lest you be unable to handle things tomorrow.
The Chief Justice told PTI’s lawyer in a dialogue that you should also be careful, lest any incident happens, it will be credited to your account. Even if we make an order in your favor, it will become a problem for you tomorrow. Don’t be stubborn and wait another week. The court adjourned the hearing of Tehreek-e-Insaf’s application till May 6.
Speaking after the hearing, PTI Sindh President Haleem Adil Shaikh said that the administration is delaying the meeting, but the meeting will definitely take place, it is our constitutional right. It is those who take salaries from public taxes who are depriving them of their rights. Those responsible for providing security fail to provide security.
Halim Adil Shaikh said that Sindh government and other institutions should be ashamed of this performance, we first submitted the application on March 21 but did not get permission for the rally, then we applied on April 3 but still did not get permission. On May 5, there is a meeting of the Protect Constitution campaign, the central leadership of PTI and leaders of other parties will also participate. We want permission because families attend our meetings. At the last hearing, the administration had taken a stand that Jinnah Ground is part of Mazar Quaid.
Haleem Adil Sheikh said that due to the sanctity of Mazar Quaid, political activities cannot be done. When that stand failed, they are pretending to be threats of terrorism. DC, SSP are sitting in their offices and selling chickpeas. The Chief Justice said that law and justice may be blind, but judges are not blind. The judiciary is trying to awaken the conscience of the administration. The conscience of bureaucracy is associated with transfer posting. People are in a frenzy and frenzy. Government of Sindh, Bilawal Bhutto, Murad Ali Shah are shaking.
