Islamabad: In a significant victory for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Islamabad district administration has greenlit a massive rally in the capital city on August 22, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) was informed on Thursday.
JUSTICE SERVED?
The IHC, presided over by Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, heard the contempt of court petition against the district administration for initially denying permission for the rally. PTI lawyers argued that their request, submitted on July 22, was unjustly denied, sparking the contempt claim.
COURT CLARIFIES
The court inquired about the decision leading to the contempt claim and noted that protests or rallies could take place after August 20. Justice Miangul emphasized that there was no basis for the contempt claim, highlighting that the request was sent to PTI and that blocking Faizabad was harmful to the nation.
EQUAL TREATMENT FOR ALL
The court expressed surprise at the ease with which permission was granted to the ruling party, stressing that opposition parties should receive equal treatment. The need to maintain parks as public spaces and establish rules for protests was emphasized, cautioning against turning the country into a “banana republic.”
ACCOUNTABILITY
Justice Miangul questioned the validity of the contempt claim and hinted at potentially attaching the accounts of parties causing damage to the national treasury during protests.
PROTEST PERMISSION
The PTI lawyer clarified that their application was for a protest outside the Press Club, not a rally, and that the case for rally permission was separate. The court reiterated that the district administration had granted PTI permission for the August 22 rally.
THE FIGHT CONTINUES
This development comes after PTI’s previous rally was cancelled due to a legal dispute, and their request to hold a protest was rejected by IHC last week. PTI has announced nationwide protests on August 5 to demand the release of Imran Khan and address severe inflation.
