ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking permission for holding a public procession on Nov 26 and landing of a helicopter carrying Imran Khan at Parade Ground.

PTI’s divisional president Malik Sajid filed a petition in the IHC which cited the secretary interior, inspector general police and the deputy commissioner Islamabad as respondents.

It said the PTI chairman had given a call to his workers and supporters for a sit-in in Islamabad on Nov 26.

The petition said the PTI on Nov 20 had submitted an application to the district administration to get permission for the sit-in which was not granted yet.

Says party head submitted application to district administration on Nov 20 but NOC still not issued

The petition requested the court to issue direction to the district administration for granting the no-objection certificate (NOC) for the sit-in.

It also requested the court to direct the respondent authorities to “allow helicopter of chairman PTI Imran Khan for landing and taking off from Parade Ground, Islamabad till the conclusion of Jalsa.”

In a related development, IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq disposed of a petition filed by traders of Islamabad against the upcoming sit-in of the PTI.

The chief justice observed that both the Supreme Court and the IHC had already laid down guidelines for granting permission and holding public processions.

He observed that the district administration was responsible to ensure freedom of movement of citizens.

He remarked that the district administration may adopt a proper mechanism to counter the protesters and confining them within the designated space as blocking roads with containers was not an adequate solution.

It may be mentioned that the IGP Islamabad in a report submitted to the court in response to the traders’ petition had expressed apprehensions of a conflict between law enforcement agencies and the police forces from other provinces during the upcoming sit-in.

The capital police expressed concerns that “armed uniformed personnel of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and AJK police also accompany the procession of the PTI and risk of any accidental confrontation with the Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) in such situation goes high. There have been no such examples of confrontation of this level in the country during any political movement where civilian armed units have faced such untenable situation.”

Citing life threats to the PTI chairman, the report said: “It becomes even more risky scenario when we take into account threats to life of the chairman PTI and threats of terrorism received through multiple sources.”

Published in Dawn, November 23rd, 2022