ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court issued a notice to the DC Islamabad and the Ministry of Interior on the request to ban the protest in D Chowk and Red Zone and asked for a comprehensive plan.
Chief Justice Islamabad High Court Justice Aamir Farooq heard the request of Federal Welfare Association. Federal Welfare Association lawyer Chaudhry Waseem Bahadur appeared in the court.
The lawyer petitioner said that whenever there is a dharna or protest in D Chowk, the businesses are closed, it is requested that the protest should be banned. Advocate General Islamabad said that not all businesses are closed, some places are closed.
The Chief Justice inquired that what is the solution? Is D Chowk Red Zone? Advocate General Islamabad said that to avoid this, 144 is enforced in Islamabad and the red zone starts from D Chowk.
The Chief Justice asked the DC Islamabad what you do when there is a sit-in. DC Islamabad said that if there is any protest in the press club, we will close the side roads. The Chief Justice said that this matter is of D Chowk, tell him about it, to which the DC Islamabad said that no one can protest in the red zone.
The Chief Justice remarked that why don’t you stop it, every citizen has the right to protest, but entry into the red zone is limited, everyone protests outside the Supreme Court and Parliament, the red zone of Lahore is the Mall Road, there is also a daily basis. There is a protest.
DC Islamabad said that people come and sit without permission. Chief Justice asked DC Islamabad that if permission is not taken from you then you should not call red zone as red zone. DC Islamabad said that D Chowk is the Parliament Chowk, where in the previous dharna the people were killed by a car, not the Expressway Chowk D Chowk.
The Chief Justice inquired from the DC Islamabad that I am putting you on notice that you said you can protest in the parade ground.
The Advocate General said that we had suggested that the sector area should be declared a red zone.
Addressing the DC Islamabad, the Chief Justice said that it is for you to tell in which place the protest is allowed or not. The court adjourned the hearing of the case till next week.
