Pakistan: PDM seeks local admin's permission for sit-in outside SC

Islamabad [Pakistan], May 14 : The ruling coalition party, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) on Sunday sought the local district administration's permission to hold a sit-in outside of the Supreme Court premises in Islamabad, Tribune reported.

Former minister and PML-N leader Tariq Fazal Chaudhry confirmed to journalists that an application on the matter had been submitted to the concerned authorities.

"PML-N workers from across Islamabad will fully participate in the protest," he said.

The application states that the ruling party alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) wishes to "hold a public gathering at D-Chowk, Islamabad on Monday at 10 am".

Notably, the top court had come to the rescue of former prime minister Imran Khan on Thursday as it declared his arrest by the country's top graft-buster from the premises of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) illegal and directed immediate release of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief, Tribune reported.

Subsequently, the IHC granted Imran interim bail for two weeks in the Al-Qadir Trust case.

Shortly after the IHC's decision was reported, PDM announced that it will stage a protest demonstration in front of the SC over its "unjust behaviour".

"We have decided that we will protest against this behaviour. As someone who is representing the PDM, I appeal to the entire nation to reach Islamabad on Monday. We will stage a sit-in and protest in huge numbers," said Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam - Fazl (JUI-F) chief and PDM President Maulana Fazlur Rehman while addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Tribune reported.

Fazl had said that every worker of his party will participate in the protest and no one will stay at home.

"If someone tried to stop us, we will reply back with clubs, slaps and punches if needed," he had warned.

Meanwhile, the federal cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, had issued a strong condemnation against Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial for his "extraordinary intervention" in Imran Khan's arrest. The cabinet deemed the intervention as "misconduct" on the part of the top judge.

According to the federal cabinet, Imran Khan's arrest was carried out in compliance with the Constitution, law, and legal procedures in the "open and shut case of corruption and corrupt practices".

The federal cabinet reiterated its stance that the CJP's interference was unjustifiable and condemned it in the strongest possible terms. It denounced the CJP's interference as "misconduct".

It may also be noted here that a meeting was held on Saturday, presided over by the SC's registrar, to review the security arrangements for the SC in view of the protest planned outside its premises on Monday but no representative of the Islamabad police attended the huddle, Tribune reported.

The SC registrar expressed his concerns over the lack of cooperation by the Islamabad police.

The SC has also decided to hear on Monday the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) plea asking the top court to revisit its order of holding elections in the Punjab Assembly on May 14, Tribune reported.

The petition would be heard a day after the court-ordered election deadline has lapsed a second time.