ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-lnsaf (PTI) has decided to hold public meetings in all the 101 union councils of Islamabad on May 14 on the call of PTI ChairmanImran Khan to express solidarity with the constitution, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial and the Supreme Court.

PTI Islamabad region President Ali Nawaz Awan has formally written a letter to Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon seeking permission to hold the ‘peaceful assembly’ in the capital.

He said PTI would organise peaceful gatherings at 101 designated places to express solidarity with the constitution, CJP and the judiciary at 4pm on May 14.

He stated that the constitution provided every citizen fundamental rights of freedom of movement, assembly, speech and freedom of association as envisaged under Article 15, 16, 17 and 19.

The letter reads: “SC and the Islamabad High Court have also settled that the Civil Administration shall administer in such a manner that no fundamental right of any citizen shall infringe as a result of the acts of their good office(s).”

Demands removal of police chief

It added: “IHC recently held that the fundamental rights under Articles 15, 16, 17 and 19 of the Constitution of the petitioner i.e. PTI were involved and also ordered that the same shall not be prejudiced at the hands of the respondent i.e. your office.”

Mr Awan said PTI had managed protests, rallies and peaceful assemblies at various locations of Islamabad during the last one year during which not even once a single pot was broken.

He said PTI Islamabad had full right to hold public gatherings in support of the constitution, CJP and the apex court.

In view of the supremacy of the constitution, he requested that the Islamabad administration should make necessary security arrangements for these public gatherings.

While talking to Dawn, Mr Awan claimed that despite seeking approval from the IHC the district administration had not allowed the PTI to hold rallies and dozens of workers were arrested on May 6.

“We had sought approval [for the rally] from IHC judge Babar Sattar…but the government did not accept the court orders. Now we have submitted an application to the district administration,” he said.

Meanwhile, PTI leaders on Monday demanded the removal of Inspector General (IG) Dr Akbar Nasir Khan, claiming the Islamabad police “dragged and detained” women supporters of the party as well as innocent children during a rally held to show solidarity with the judiciary on Saturday.

In a press conference held in the federal capital by Shireen Mazari and Ali Nawaz Awan, the party also urged the United Nations human rights organisations to take notice of the gross violations of human rights by the capital police.

Ms Mazari said that international human rights bodies should take notice of the “barbarism” on PTI women unleashed by the Islamabad police. She made it clear that they would not tolerate this “fascism anymore”.

She went on to say that the Constitution was virtually dysfunctional since the ouster of the PTI government and claimed that the laws were being flouted and openly violated during the last year. She said that Pakistan was a member of seven conventions, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention Against Torture and added that violence against peaceful protesters and detainees was a clear violation of these agreements.

She said that the deputy commissioner, Irfan Nawaz Memon, also committed contempt of court, as Islamabad High Court judge Babar Sattar gave clear instructions to the admin to permit the PTI to hold a peaceful protest, but the party was denied its fundamental and constitutional rights.

Ms Mazari reiterated that peaceful gathering was their constitutional and fundamental right but raids were carried out by unknown persons in civilian clothes without any warrants in a bid to intimidate and terrify the party workers. However, she made it clear that all such tactics would not work and they would not remain silent on this anymore.

‘Over 1300 booked’

Speaking on the occasion, Ali Nawaz Awan said that PTI workers were detained without warrants before the solidarity rally on Saturday. He said that two PTI women were waiting on a footpath to welcome the PTI rally outside F-9 Park but they were detained and tortured by police.

The PTI Islamabad president stated that during the last year, the Islamabad police “crossed all limits of cruelties”, as the IG Islamabad was specially called in from Lahore for this purpose and the situation was in front of everyone. He said that FIRs were lodged against 1,350 PTI supporters and several people were arrested during the last year, adding that arrests were being made without search warrants.

He alleged that a total of 61 people were arrested on May 6, and 509 people were detained on March 18 which was the reason the IG was awarded Tamgha-i-Shujaat. Mr Awan also called out the Islamabad police for poor policing and said vehicles worth Rs1.5 billion were stolen from the capital in one year while the police were busy repressing the PTI. At least six people were killed in one month while the land mafia claimed 50 lives in a year. “We don’t want IG police like Nasir in Islamabad,” he added. Ali Nawaz Awan announced that the PTI would take out peaceful rallies again on May 14 to express solidarity with the Supreme Court.

Speaking on the occasion, Shomaila and Mehwish – PTI women activists who were arrested from the rally – told the media that they were mistreated and manhandled by the police officials.

Published in Dawn, May 9th, 2023