KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has issued notices to the provincial authorities and police on petitions of the leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf seeking protection.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Mohammad Iqbal Kalhoro issued notices to the respondents as well as the federal and provincial law officers for May 3.

PTI leaders Aftab Siddiqui, Khurram Sher Zaman and six MPAs approached the SHC stating that the PTI leadership had decided to hold protests across the country, but the Pakistan Peoples Party government was going to take action against such protests in Sindh.

The petitioners expressed the apprehension that the PPP could use government machinery against the peaceful protests of PTI.

They contended that the provincial government had also lodged many false cases against the leadership of the PTI and it may register fabricated cases against the petitioners and workers of the party as well as maltreatment at the hands of the Sindh police.

Citing the home secretary, inspector general of police, Sindh Assembly speaker and others as respondents, the petitioners sought directives for them to not lodge bogus FIRs against the petitioners, not to arrest the MPAs without permission of the speaker and to provide them protection during their protests.

Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2023