Supreme Court rejects plea seeking suo motu notice on deaths during PTI protest

• "Yesterday, there were deaths on both sides," says KP AAG.
• Judge tells KP AAG not to make political statements in SC.
• PTI claims that eight of its members were killed during protest.

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected a verbal plea to take suo motu notice of the deaths that occurred during Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) protest in the federal capital.

"Yesterday, there were deaths on both sides, the constitutional bench should take suo motu notice [on the issue]," Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's (KP) additional advocate general (AAG) said during a hearing.

Government officials have said that at least three Rangers as well as two police personnel embraced martyrdom during the protest, while the PTI claims that eight of its members were killed.

The additional advocate general asked the constitutional bench to take up his verbal plea during the hearing of a case related to the climate change authority, in which he appeared via video link.

In response, Justice Musarrat Hilali cautioned against making political statements during Supreme Court proceedings.

Head of the constitutional bench, Justice Aminuddin Khan, remarked that the court cannot address matters not presented before it.

Similarly, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail said the bench does not wish to comment on issues outside the court's purview.

The constitutional bench then rejected the verbal request made by the additional advocate general.

In the early hours of Wednesday, the Imran Khan-founded party announced a "temporary suspension" of its "do-or-die" protest following a midnight crackdown by the law enforcers, which effectively dispersed the PTI workers.

In response, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar slammed the PTI, saying: "Such a colossal failure has become their fate. This was not the final call, but merely a missed call."

Tarar went on to share his observations about the "failed" protest, noting that he had personally travelled from D-Chowk to Eleventh Avenue, witnessing a scene of chaos.

In his late-night press conference at D-Chowk, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said: "They resorted to threats and caused billions in damages."

Reflecting on the recurring nature of such incidents, he questioned: "How many more times do we need to deal with situations like this?"