PTI denied fundamental right to hold public meeting: SHC

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has observed that, apparently, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf is being discriminated against and denied the fundamental right to hold public gathering in violation of constitutional provisions.

While disposing of a petition of the PTI seeking permission to hold a public meeting near the Mazar-i-Quaid, the two-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi directed the deputy commissioner (East) to call a meeting of all stakeholders to resolve the matter amicably and accord permission after observing codal formalities.

It also stated that if permission to hold gathering at Bagh-i-Jinnah somehow involved serious security concerns, some reasonable alternative venue agreeable to the petitioner may be taken into consideration.

The PTI had moved the SHC month after the provincial and local authorities were reluctant to entertain their applications for a public gathering and the SHC had lastly heard the matter on May 13, while the written order was issued on Thursday.

The bench in its order noted that the reports were filed by the DC and home department and submitted that at that time, the permission could not be granted due to security concerns.

It observed that no substance or legal ground had been mentioned in such reports which could justify withholding permission to the petitioner for holding a public rally near Mazar-i-Quaid or Bagh-i-Jinnah as requested by the petitioner, more particularly when reportedly two political parties had already held such rallies near the same venue and the last one was held on May 2, at Corridor-III, within close vicinity of Mazar-i-Quaid and Bagh-i-Jinnah.

Published in Dawn, May 17th, 2024