LAHORE: The federal government, on a petition against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan’s call for locking down Islamabad, replied before a full bench of Lahore High Court, ensuring that it was ready to deal with any situation arising from the November 2 protest. As preliminary hearing on the petition commenced on Thursday, Additional Attorney General Naseer Ahmad Bhutta said that said locking a city down is a cognizable offence and the government could exercise relevant laws if deemed necessary. He also said that the government would not allow any hooliganism in Islamabad. Bhutta stated that the government was conscious to the situation and was ready to meet the challenges. He argued that freedom of an association was subject to law and no one would be allowed to make mockery of law. The bench, comprising Justice Shahid Hamid Dar, Justice Muhammad Anwaarul Haq and Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan, was hearing a petition moved by a senior lawyer A K Dogar on behalf of Lawyers’ Foundation for Justice. The bench regretted that the government had failed to establish its writ during 2014 protest/sit-in by PTI and could not control the situation at crucial hours. Bhutta said that cases were lodged against the protestors involved in attacking government buildings, including the National Assembly and Pakistan Television. He said that the government refrained from bloodshed at that time, but would take action within four corners of law in case any untoward situation arises on November 2. The bench would now resume further hearing today (Friday) or Monday, depending upon the availability of PTI’s counsel Ahmad Awais. The petitioner’s counsel said that the state and the government were synonym terms and Imran Khan had been involved in inciting people against the lawfully elected government. He said that the state must establish its writ and ‘unconstitutional’ protest by the political party should not be permitted. On a court query, Dogar conceded had the government responded to the demands of the opposition, the November 2-like situation would have not emerged. The petitioner’s counsel had earlier said that Imran Khan was constantly seeking to overthrow the elected federal government with the help of a ‘third umpire’. He submitted that if the federal capital was shut down, the Supreme Court, parliament, cabinet secretariat and all offices of the government would become dysfunctional. He said that the fundamental right of speech and expression under Article 19 of the Constitution was not absolutely right, but subject to security, integrity, defence of the country, public order and morality. He submitted that Imran khan incited the people to rebel by making announcement of locking down Islamabad, especially at a time when the country was already facing grave security challenges. “The announcement made by Imran Khan for shutting down Islamabad is leaving adverse impacts on national economy and stock exchange,” he added. He requested the court to issue directions to restrain the PTI chief from performing this unconstitutional act of locking down the federal capital.