ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court (SC) has wrapped up Senator Kamran Murtaza petition seeking court orders to stop Imran Khan long march declaring it in-fructuous.  A 3-member bench of SC presided over by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial took up petition for hearing. 

Justice Athar Minallah inquired from petitioner do you think that administration has become so weak that it cannot control long march. It is executive matter. Therefore, approach them. Judiciary can interfere in extraordinary situation. Why court should interfere when administration has sweeping powers to control such situation. CJP remarked during hearing of petition letter written by federation to provinces under Article 149 is very serious matter.

We want peace rather that chaos in country. We don’t want to give such order which is premature and then it has to be implemented. Interference in such problems creates strange situation for court. Right to protest is not infinite. It is linked to constitutional limits. If there is threat of clear constitutional violation then court will interfere. Court dismissed advocate Kamran Murtaza petition declaring it infructuous. 

Justice Ayesha Malik remarked PTI long march is running since several days. Have you approached administration. What is haste in matter of long march and what is negligence of administration. Has government evolved some procedure to regulate protest. 

Published in The Daily National Courier, November, 18 2022

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