Islamabad: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) yesterday barred the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) from bringing children and elderly people to their ongoing anti-government sit-in protests in the capital.
Justice Athar Minallah passed the order while hearing a petition filed by the PTI against the imposition of a ban on public gatherings in the federal capital by the administration. The court suspended the ban until the next hearing, fixed tomorrow.
During the hearing the judge said it appeared that permission had not been sought from relevant authorities for holding the sit-ins.
PTI and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) have been holding anti-government sit-ins near the Parliament building in Islamabad since mid-August.
Meanwhile, Islamabad police yesterday registered a case against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif, three federal ministers and some police officials in connection with the August 30 violence in the capital involving police and protesters.
The Secretariat Police Station registered a First Information Report (FIR) in compliance with an order issued by Islamabad’s additional sessions judge while disposing of a petition filed by the PTI. The party had alleged in the petition that three political activists were killed and many injured as a result of police gunfire.
It was the second FIR registered by the police over the August 30 incident, in which the prime minister and others have been accused of being responsible for the police action.
Also yesterday, the Supreme Court began hearing a petition seeking the disqualification of the prime minister and adjourned the case until tomorrow.
The petition has been filed by PTI activist Ishaq Kakhwani, who alleges that the prime minister lied to the Parliament about the army’s role regarding the resolution of the political crisis.
