Supreme Court of Pakistan on Monday ordered Pakistan Awami Tehreek and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf to clear the Constitution Avenue by Tuesday, Dunya News reported.
A five member bench of SC headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJ) Justice Nasir Ul Mulk heard the petition pertaining to extra-constitutional steps against Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri on Monday. During the hearing of the case, both PAT and PTI were ordered to clear the Constitution Avenue where the sit-in protest is going on in front of the apex court. According to the Supreme Court, the streets are for public and nobody has the right to occupy them. The Supreme Court claimed that the protestors are violating the basic rights of the citizens ensuring freedom of movement and right of assembly as laid out in article 15 and 16 of the Constitution of Pakistan. The protestors are sitting in front of the Parliament House and the Supreme Court building for almost a week causing extreme difficulties for the lawyers because of the closure of Constitution Avenue. CJ Nasir ul Mulk said that the Supreme Court judges were taking an alternate route to the reach the SC premises and the attendance of employees was very low due to the political turmoil. Moreover, the court was informed about some complaints of harassment of SC employees by the protestors, he added.
Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali remarked that if the protesters are peaceful why are they carrying clubs?
Attorney General Salman Butt said that the government has offered an alternative place for the PAT and PTI sit-in. The petitioner’s counsel informed the court that Imran Khan has also hinted about some third empire. In response, Justice Jawad S Khwaja said that Imran Khan perhaps referred to army as the third empire. Justice Jawad said that Tahirul Qadri holds a Canadian nationality. He further said that Tahirul Qadri has sworn in to remain loyal to Queen Elizabeth. He also read out in Urdu, Qadri’s Oath of Citizenship, which is an oath taken by an immigrant that officially naturalizes immigrants into citizens.
Protestors from both PAT and PTI have gathered in the federal capital s Red Zone for almost a week, to carry out a protest sit-in against the government and alleged rigging in the 2013 general elections. Both parties have refused to leave before Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s resignation. The hearing was adjourned till August 27, ordering both PAT and PTI workers to clear the Constitution Avenue.
