PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court on Tuesday issued notices to officials of the federal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments, seeking their response to a petition filed by two PTI lawmakers for “unhindered” participation in their party’s ongoing long march in their respective constituencies.

A bench consisting of Justice Sahibzada Asadullah and Justice Farah Jamshed issued the order after holding a preliminary hearing into the joint petition of MNAs Sheharyar Afridi and Shandana Gulzar Khan, who were elected from Kohat and Peshawar, respectively.

The respondents in the petition are the interior secretary, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa home secretary and its inspector general of police (IGP).

The petitioners sought multiple reliefs from the court, saying they’re entitled to exercise their fundamental rights guaranteed under different provisions of the Constitution, including the right to peacefully represent, receive and interact with participants of the political march within their respective constituencies.

They requested the court to declare that no adverse, coercive or punitive action will be taken against the petitioners merely on account of their political affiliation, political expression, peaceful assembly, movement, association or interaction with participants of the aforesaid march unless such action is founded upon a specific lawful basis and is otherwise consistent with the Constitution and law.

The petitioners sought orders for the respondents and all other authorities functioning under or through them to ensure the protection of their life, liberty, dignity and lawful movement and to refrain from taking any action against them except in accordance with the Constitution and law.

They also requested the court to direct the respondents to ensure adequate and appropriate security arrangements for them in view of the prevailing political situation and the apprehension for their life and liberty arising from their public and representative role.

The petitioners said that any restriction imposed on their movement, assembly, association or expression should be imposed only by a competent authority, under lawful authority, for a constitutionally permissible purpose and strictly in accordance with the requirements of the Constitution and applicable law.

Advocate Muazzam Butt appeared for the petitioners and said that his clients wanted the PTI’s long march to pass peacefully through their respective constituencies and that they should not be restrained by any authority from receiving the marchers and participating in the march.

When the bench inquired what his precise prayer in the petition was, the counsel said that the petitioners were interested in the enforcement of their fundamental rights given in the Constitution, including the right to association and peaceful assembly.

An additional attorney general contended that the petition was not maintainable and should be dismissed.

He added that after the judgement delivered by the Islamabad High Court on the matter, there was no ground available for holding the said march. The official requested that the case be adjourned for a day.

The counsel for the petitioners said that due to the urgency of the matter, as the long march was in progress, the court shouldn’t put off the hearing.

However, the bench observed that without hearing the respondents, the matter couldn’t be decided.

Mr Butt said that the petitioners had a reasonable apprehension of irreparable injury to their liberty, dignity, reputation and ability to discharge their representative functions unless appropriate constitutional protection was extended by this court.

He added that the petitioners sought no preferential treatment and they merely wanted protection of their constitutional rights and assurance that any action against them should be taken strictly in accordance with the Constitution and law.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2026