ISLAMABAD: The opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said on Wednesday it had submitted a petition in the country’s top court, seeking clarification on whether it could hold peaceful protests and requesting the court to direct the federal and Punjab governments against using “coercive tactics” against party supporters or creating obstacles in the way of the constitutional right to protest.
In recent interviews, PTI chief and former prime minister Imran Khan has called on the Supreme Court to protect the right to hold protests after a march by PTI supporters last week turned violent, with clashes between marchers and police and law enforcement authorities firing tear gas shells, baton charging and detaining hundreds of protesters who had set fire to trees, vehicles and shops in Islamabad on a road leading to parliament.
Last week, the interior ministry said rallies creating “chaos and unrest” would no longer be allowed in Islamabad. On Tuesday, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah warned Khan against leading another march to the capital.
“PTI has submitted a petition related to the long march at the Supreme Court,” the party tweeted, sharing a video clip of Asad Umar, a close Khan aide and former planning minister, interacting with reporters.
Speaking about last week’s march, Umar blamed the government for arresting and harassing PTI supporters.
“All of this was done a day-and-a-half before the march took place,” he said. “We have asked [in this petition] that if a person intends to take part in a peaceful protest, then according to what law can that right be taken away from that person?”
“What were they trying to do?” he asked, referring to tear gas shelling on marchers and the blocking of roads to keep them from reaching the capital. “Which part of the law or constitution allows preventing peaceful citizens from reaching the capital?”
In a copy of the petition seen by Arab News, the PTI requests the court to direct the federal and Punjab governments “not torture or arrest or use any force or coercive measures or intimidating tactics (including, without limitation, conducting of illegal raids in their houses), against the citizens of Pakistan and the supporters, workers, members and leaders of the public who want to peacefully hold any protest or assembly.”
The petitioner also requested the court to direct the Punjab and federal governments not to create any hindrance or obstacles that restrict the constitutional movement of people and not use violence against any citizens or supporters, members and leaders of the PTI.
Meanwhile, the government has called the PTI’s march last week “an attack on the centre,” saying PTI supporters would be arrested if another “anti-state” march was announced.
In an interview with a local TV channel on Tuesday, Sanaullah said the government had evidence Khan and other PTI leaders had planned to disturb law and order of the capital.
“He [former PM Khan] was advising his people to come armed [to Islamabad],” said the minister. “We have evidence of their telephonic conversations. [We have evidence] of them discussing this in telephonic conversations and in meetings,” he added.
The minister accused Khan’s party of bringing 2,000-2,500 workers to Islamabad a day before last week's march, saying a “majority of them were also armed.”
Ahead of Khan’s march to Islamabad last week, Punjab Police had said they recovered weapons from the Pakistani city of Lahore, the epicenter of the clashes, from the cars of two office-bearers of Khan’s PTI party, raising fears that marchers were planning violence.
Though PTI leaders have variously denied marchers were armed, in an interview with a local TV channel on Monday, Khan admitted many supporters participating in the long march were carrying “pistols” and he had called off the protest fearing unrest and bloodshed.
“The hatred against police had already grown [because of what] they [government] made the police do … this would have intensified,” Khan said, explaining why he had disbanded the protest. “And seeing me they [supporters] would have become more impassioned and at that point I was 100 percent sure that bullets would be fired.”
“Even on our side, people were ready, many people I saw were carrying pistols, so I was afraid that the next step would be that there would be unrest.”
