Appeal to stop PTI rally rejected

Lahore: The Lahore High Court (LHC) Friday declared the petition regarding stopping the meeting of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as inadmissible.

LHC heard the petitions of Alia Hamza and others regarding the permission of the PTI to hold a rally.

At the beginning of the hearing, Justice Farooq Haider said in his remarks that a little space should be created in the courtroom so that the parties can attend.

The court inquired if the Advocate General Punjab did not come to. On which the public prosecutor told the court that Advocate General Punjab was in Islamabad.

The Public Advocate pleaded that the petition related to PTI's rally be dismissed as inadmissible and took the stand that Alia Hamza did not approach the relevant forum for the permission of the rally. Omar Ayub and the Leader of the Opposition Punjab Assembly also did not request permission to meet.

The government lawyer told the court that the rally was not allowed in the light of the reports of sensitive institutions. The speeches made in the recent PTI rallies are part of the record that were anti-judiciary and anti-state. Inappropriate language was used against journalists in the Islamabad rally. Hammad Azhar who is the proclaimed offender of various cases addressed the rally and Ali Amin Gandapur also used inappropriate words.

Justice Ali Zia Bajwa inquired whether Alia Hamza was an official of the party. PTI's lawyer told the court that Alia Hamza is a CEC member of PTI.

Justice Tariq Nadeem said in his remarks that the record shows that Alia did not give any application for the meeting. To which Justice Farooq Haider replied that it is necessary to apply according to the law.

The court inquired the Deputy Commissioner whether Alia Hamza had applied for the meeting. On which the DC replied that she did not give any application for the meeting.

On this, Justice Farooq Haider addressed PTI's lawyer and said that your Secretary General has asked permission for the meeting on September 22, but you have asked permission for the meeting on September 21.

The Supreme Court inquired where Alia Hamza is? On this, the lawyer Ashfaq Chaudhary told the court that she is still under house arrest.

Justice Farooq Haider instructed PTI's lawyer that you should apply to the Deputy Commissioner for permission for the meeting now. We will come again in 15 minutes, you should apply before us and the DC will decide on the application today.

After that, the High Court adjourned the hearing of the petitions regarding the permission of the rally for some time.

When the hearing resumed, Justice Tariq Nadeem called the Chief Secretary to the rostrum and while talking to him said: “We all are here because of this country. Those who are in power today, were in opposition yesterday. You were serving then and also serving today. After every 15 to 20 days such a writ is filed, wouldn't it be better if we allocate a place for the meeting in each district”.

In a conversation with the Chief Secretary, the judge stated that Lahore is a big city, allocate two or three places for the meeting there. The situation is that funerals wait at the back of the rallies due to rush. The power will come and go, do something by which you will be remembered.

Justice Tariq Nadeem remarked that today these people are saying that they are not getting permission to hold a rally. Yesterday they were talking about how the world has progressed and we are still stuck here, there is no freedom of speech, and no gatherings are allowed.

Justice Farooq Haider while addressing the IG Punjab said: “We do not expect you to harass people illegally,” to which the IG replied that no harassment is being done by us.

PTI's lawyer Latif Khosa told him not to lie as the police had been deployed outside his residence for a week.

Justice Farooq Haider said in his remarks that it is on record that the petitioner Alia Hamza did not give any application to the DC for the permission of the rally, the petitioner's lawyer just submitted a handwritten application on the court order.

Later, the court ordered the DC to decide on PTI's request regarding permission for the rally by 5:00pm, while the court rejected the request to stop the rally as inadmissible.