ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court ruled that no unauthorised protests or gatherings will be allowed in the capital city during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, scheduled to be held on October 15 and 16, ARY News reported.
According to ARY News, the High Court bench comprising Chief Justice Aamer Farooq issued a written order on a plea filed by traders, ruling that no lockdown should also be made during the SCO summit. This comes amid the ongoing protests by Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaaf (PTI) against the government in Islamabad and Lahore.
The HC directed the Islamabad administration and government to allocate a designated area for protests. “The protesters must gather in the area specified by the administration to record their protest,” ARY News quoted the ruling.
While acknowledging Articles 16 and 17 of the Pakistani Constitution, which guarantee the right to assembly and movement, the HC stressed that these rights are subject to reasonable restrictions, ARY News reported. The IHC directed authorities to take necessary measures to maintain peace in Islamabad.
As per ARY News, the court was told that the activists of a political party are marching towards the red zone, which would freeze the movement of other citizens. The order read that the court was informed that the army has been deployed under Article 245 to ensure security while Section 144 is also imposed, ARY News reported.
On Saturday, Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi claimed that 11 officers from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police and 120 Afghan nationals were among the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protesters arrested in Islamabad, ARY News reported. According to ARY News, Naqvi said that 564 people were arrested during the crackdown, including 11 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police officers who were reportedly involved in the protest.
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaaf (PTI) has been staging protests against the government in Islamabad and Lahore. PTI gave a fresh call for nationwide protests on October 1, starting in Islamabad, to ensure the independence of the judiciary, as reported by Dawn. (ANI)