LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Thursday remarked that people had been facing anarchy-like situation due to inefficiency of the federal government and shrewdness of a political party.

A full bench, hearing a petition seeking protection for traders during Dec 15 shutdown call of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) in Lahore, observed the government had been blocking roads by placing containers which the protesters had been removing with cranes.

Justice Khalid Mahmood Khan was heading the bench along with Justice Shahid Hameed Dar and Justice Muhammad Anwarul Haq.

A local trader, Naeem Mir, filed the petition expressing apprehensions about the possible violence on the shutdown day in the city.

Capital City Police Officer Amin Wains told the bench that a comprehensive plan had been chalked out in view of the shutdown call of the PTI. He said the police would come up with a new strategy to maintain law and order in the city during the protest.

Justice Dar observed that the people in Lahore were in a great sense of fear after violent protests in Faisalabad and they had been advising each other to stay at home on Dec 15. He said the protests had become a permanent mental agony for the masses.

The petitioner’s counsel stated the city administration and police had not engaged the traders before devising the security plan.

The bench directed the CCPO to engage the traders regarding the security plan and take their suggestions.

The bench will resume hearing on Friday (today).

Published in Dawn, December 12th, 2014