ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf MNA Asad Umar on Wednesday filed a petition against closure of roads and petrol pumps and ‘harassment’ of his party workers.

Admitting the petition for hearing, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) sought reply within a week from the interior secretary, the inspector general of police and the chief commissioner of Islamabad.

The PTI’s legislator Asad Umar, through his counsel Farrukh Dal advocate, has sought removal of containers from roads and availability of petrol at the filling stations.

He has also urged the court to direct the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government to desist from harassing the PTI workers.

The Petitioner cited secretary ministry of interior, ministry of petroleum, secretary ministry of law, justice and parliamentary affairs, inspector general (IG) of police and chief commissioner as respondents.

He adopted before the court that his party chairman Imran Khan had called an Azadi March against what he claimed rigging in the May 2013 general elections.

The PTI chief assured the government time and again that there would be no vandalizing of state property, he said in the petition.

The PTI MNA maintained that now the respondents were presurising the PTI to call off its Azadi March scheduled for Agust 14 and had started using police to stop its workers from participating in Azadi March.He pointed out that the respondents had placed barriers and containers at all exit and entry points of Islamabad to check and detain PTI activists. The road blockades are causing great inconvenience to general public.

The petition claimed that the respondents had planned to arrest top leadership of the party, including PTI chairman Imran Khan with a view to failing the Azadi March.

As till today, in many instances police trespassed on houses of PTI office bearers and activists and manhandled women and children and took them (activists) into custody.

Hundreds of PTI activists were arrested during a crackdown by the Islamabad police on Tuesday night, the petition alleged.

Respondents are trying and using every possible tool to fail the protest. The closure of the filling station has sent a wave of unrest among the people, the petition further alleged.

It said that the respondents had no right to curtail the constitutional rights of the political party and its workers and the citizens of Pakistan.

The petitioner requested the court to order removal of the barricades, containers from the roads across the city.

He also prayed the court to issue direction to the government release the arrested/detained office bearers of the PTI besides ensuring the supply of petrol/fuel at filling station.

Traders petition against ‘Azadi’ March

The IHC Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui sought reply from ministry of interior in the petition filed by Jinnah Avenue Traders Association (JATA) against ‘Azadi’ March.

The court directed the interior secretary to submit reply within a period of a fortnight.

The petitioner contended before the court that Jinnah Avenue was the hub of Islamabads business. The protest sit-in at Jinnah Avenue badly affects the business community and consequently fundamental rights of the businessmen.

Petitioner has requested the court to direct the government to designate a place for the protesters coming to Islamabad, so that the normal life of the citizen might not be disturbed.

Published in Dawn, Aug 14th, 2014