Daily Times

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Thursday questioned the maintainability of a petition seeking to restrain Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan from shutting down the capital city on November 02.

Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, who headed a division bench, asked the petitioner to satisfy the court with regard to its jurisdiction to hear his litigation involving the matter that falls within ambit of Islamabad High Court.

The court put off the hearing when the petitioner requested for time to argue over the maintainability of the petition.

Barrister Ali Tahir had moved to the court naming PTI chairman, vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Jehangir Tareen and interior secretary as respondents.

In the plea, he submitted that PTI chairman is going to bring Islamabad to a halt on November 02 by any means possible, which is tantamount to taking up arms against the state. He explained the Article 16 of the country’s constitution guarantees freedom to assemble subject to any reasonable restriction imposed by law. He argued that assembling of PTI workers and besieging the capital city in a bid to shut it down would violate the basic rights of other citizens.

The petitioner stated that the country was passing through difficult times with the looming prospects of war any such activity would be detrimental to the safety and security of the country. Besides, it would play havoc with economic activities.

He, therefore, pleaded the court to restrain the PTI chairman and his supporters from shutting down Islamabad by forcing, pressurizing and threatening people.