ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday heard a petition seeking to stop Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) planned September 27 long march towards the federal capital, with Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Awan supporting the plea and warning that Islamabad police lacked sufficient strength to deal with what he described as an “inflammatory group”.
PTI has announced nationwide protests and a long march towards Islamabad on September 27, demanding the release of party founder Imran Khan.
A three-member bench headed by IHC Chief Justice Sarfaraz Dogar, comprising Justice Azam Khan and Justice Muhammad Asif, conducted the hearing. Inspectors general of police from Punjab, Sindh and the Motorway Police, along with Additional IG Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Abbas Ahsan, appeared before the court.
During the proceedings, Chief Justice Dogar cautioned that if red lines were crossed under the guise of exercising fundamental rights, the court would have to take a decision.
Appearing on behalf of the federal government, AGP Mansoor Awan told the court that intelligence reports suggested the PTI was preparing more extensively for the upcoming protest than it had for previous demonstrations.
He said the government did not deny citizens the right to peaceful protest, but fundamental rights could not be exercised in a manner that violated the rights of other citizens.
Referring to the Faizabad sit-in, Awan said the protest had completely paralysed the twin cities and argued that such situations could not be allowed to recur.
The attorney general also said provincial governments had a responsibility to maintain law and order and could not use state machinery for political purposes.
He alleged that previous episodes had shown the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, led by PTI, using official machinery during protests in Islamabad. He stressed that federal laws applied equally to all provinces.
“Political objectives can also be achieved while remaining within constitutional bounds,” Awan told the court.
He further claimed that the IHC’s November 2024 order had been disregarded and that directions issued by the Supreme Court in May 2022 had also not been followed. He also referred to what he described as inflammatory statements by PTI leaders.
Awan said the court had the authority to issue directions if any party failed to fulfil its responsibilities, adding that IHC orders were also binding on provincial executives.
Chief Justice Dogar questioned whether the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief secretary and inspector general of police were bound by the IHC’s 2024 order. He also asked whether the order had been challenged or had attained finality and questioned whether maintaining law and order was not the responsibility of the police.
During the hearing, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa advocate general sought two days to prepare the government’s response and questioned why the PTI’s planned long march was being treated as an attack.
The court rejected the request and adjourned the hearing until Friday.
The hearing comes after KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi recently led a five-day mobilisation campaign across Sindh to rally support for PTI’s demands, including the release of Imran Khan and immediate provision of medical treatment to the incarcerated party founder.
Former prime minister Imran Khan, 73, has remained in prison since August 2023 following a series of convictions that he and PTI have described as politically motivated.
Since his ouster from power in April 2022, Imran has faced multiple cases. Some convictions have subsequently been suspended or overturned, while several appeals remain pending.