ISLAMABAD: A petition seeking court directions to stop the PML-N from taking out a rally to Lahore via GT Road scheduled for August 8 was filed in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday. The petition filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawyer Usman Saeed Basra contended that the scheduled rally to be led by ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif was an effort to undermine the authority of the Supreme Court and pressurise the accountability courts as well as the National Accountability Bureau. The petitioner submitted that the rally would also hamper the public movement at large, which was against the fundamental rights of the citizens enshrined in the constitution. Making PML-N, Nawaz Sharif, federal government through secretary ministry of interior, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration through deputy commissioner Islamabad and government of Punjab through chief secretary as respondents, the petitioner requested the court to stop PML-N for organising its scheduled rally from Islamabad to Lahore. He said in its July 28 verdict, the Supreme Court disqualified Nawaz Sharif as member of the National Assembly and members of his party were in an effort to malign the apex court while terming the ouster as conspiracy. The petitioner said PML-N and Nawaz Sharif have decided to lead the rally on August 8 to incite public anger and this act is tantamount to subverting and undermining the authority of the judiciary and thus an attack on the independence of judiciary. The petitioner said through show of power, PML-N and Nawaz Sharif want to pressurise the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) that will be hearing corruption references against the Sharif family. Published in Daily Times, August 8th 2017.