KP govt aided PTI workers in forcibly entering Islamabad, interior ministry tells IHC

• Protestors were "instructed to seek permission" for demonstration.
• They were offered to stage protest at Sangjani, says report.
• PTI ignored court orders, created law, order problem, it claims.

ISLAMABAD: A report submitted to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) by the interior secretary has apprised that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government aided the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) demonstrators in using machinery to remove road blockages and enter the federal capital city forcibly.

As per the report, the protestors were instructed to seek permission in accordance with the law for demonstration at Sangjani. After they did not respond to it positively, they were offered to stage protest at the designated place without submitting an application for permission, however the march went on to enter the D-Chowk area, it added.

This Interior Secretary Captain (retd) Khurram Ali Agha relayed in a report submitted to the IHC in a contempt of court case pertaining to the former ruling party’s Islamabad protest.

Agha stated that the federal minister for interior, interior secretary, chief commissioner and Islamabad inspector general of police were member of the committee that was constituted under the high court orders.

The report said that the body contacted PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar a number of times asking him to file an application under the new law for the protest; however, the party did not file an application.

An offer to protest at Sangjani was made without filing an application, but the protesters continued to advance towards D-Chowk. The PTI ignored the court’s orders and created a law and order problem in Islamabad.

The administration made security arrangements in the city at the least inconvenience to the citizens. As a civil servant, the interior secretary said he cannot even think of contempt of court. When IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq heard the contempt of court petition filed by traders in the case related to stopping the PTI protest at D-Chowk, the Ministry of Interior sought time to submit the report. The state counsel said the report could not be submitted yet, and sought further time.

The chief justice asked what the problem is, why the report is not being submitted, you have to tell what you have done, and if it is difficult to tell. The court called for the report so that it could know what happened.

The chief justice said that this court had issued a simple order to maintain law and order and directed the administration to take care of the rights of the citizens, but the administration has made this matter so complicated.

The court directed the interior secretary to file a report and adjourned the hearing of the case until next week, after which a four-page written report was submitted to the court by the interior secretary.