ISLAMABAD: Despite the government’s recent passage of the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Bill 2024, which empowers district magistrates to regulate and ban public gatherings in Islamabad, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Friday held a protest outside the Supreme Court against the proposed constitutional court and Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa.

The party members among the protesters included Salman Akram Raja, Shoaib Shaheen, Azam Swati, Latif Khosa and Niazullah Niazi. They voiced their concerns over what they described as attempts by the government to undermine the Supreme Court and curtail its powers, stressing that only the apex court could ensure human rights and implementation of the Constitution.

Addressing the protest, Salman Akram Raja declared that a movement was about to start to protect both the judiciary and the country. He called on the public to come forward, warning that everyone would suffer due to the constitutional amendment.

Accuse govt of undermining judiciary through controversial legislation

“A black court is being established under Qazi Faez Isa. Pakistan will lose foreign funding because there will be no trust in courts,” Mr Raja claimed.

Azam Swati criticised Chief Justice Isa, alleging that he had damaged the judiciary’s reputation. He claimed that former army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa, CJP Isa, Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Aamer Farooq, and Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja “have ruined our institutions”.

Mr Swati said these individuals deserved to face Article 6, the constitutional provision for high treason. He said that Imran Khan rightly said that institutions had failed.

“You need to understand that your survival and salaries are linked to the survival of Pakistan,” Mr Swati said.

Advocate Shoaib Shaheen argued that the government was considering an unconstitutional amendment aimed at reducing the Supreme Court’s authority to the level of a district court.

Advocate Latif Khosa said that lawyers stood in solidarity with Justice Mansoor Ali Shah of the Supreme Court, vowing not to let CJP Isa “undermine the Supreme Court”.

Mr Khosa added, “We have shed blood for the independence of the judiciary before, and we are ready to make sacrifices again,” he said, inviting lawyers of all political affiliations to join the fight to defend the Constitution.

Lawyer Ali Bukhari said the Constitution would prevail and those conspiring against it would be defeated.

He expressed confidence that lawyers would prevent the constitutional amendment from passing in parliament.

Mr Bukhari also questioned how a ‘Form 47’ government, which he claimed lacked public mandate, could attempt to amend the Constitution.

The protest took place despite the new legislation empowering district administrations to take strict action against unauthorised assemblies.

Earlier this month, rules were suspended to allow immediate consideration of the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Bill 2024, which grants district magistrates the authority to regulate public gatherings in Islamabad.

The bill proposes up to three years imprisonment for participants in unauthorised assemblies in the federal capital.

Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2024