ISLAMABAD    -    The local chapter of opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Saturday held a rally in the fed­eral capital to express solidarity with the judiciary and the apex court at a time when the ruling coalition has refused to accept the Supreme Court order to hold polls in Punjab on May 14.

The PTI held the rally from its Central Secretariat in Sec­tor G-8 to Fatima Jinnah Park of Islamabad despite the local administration not allowing the opposition party permission for the event. Earlier, the Islamabad Capital Territory Administration had rejected the request of PTI to grant no objection certificate to it for holding the public rally from Islamabad’s Zero Point to Fatima Jinnah Park in Sector F-9 Park. The rally was organised on the call of Chairman PTI Imran Khan to express solidarity with the judiciary to give a clear and unequivocal message that the nation was not ready to tolerate defiance of SC’s orders and vio­lation of the constitutions any­more, said a statement issued by the party’s Central Secretariat.

PTI Central Secretary General Asad Umar led the solidarity ral­ly, which was also participated by party’s Islamabad Region Presi­dent Ali Nawaz Awan and PTI Senior Vice President Dr Shireen Mazari along with other leader­ship. Asad said that people have expressed their constitutional right and solidarity with the SC at more than 4,000 designated places across Pakistan, which was unprecedented. The speak­ers while addressing the par­ticipants said that former Prime Minister Imran Khan has always respected institutions and fought peacefully for the supremacy of the constitution and law. 

They said that today’s public referendum proved to be a pre­cursor to the independence of the judiciary in Pakistan because the country can neither thrive nor survive without the supremacy of the constitution and indepen­dent judiciary. The peaceful dem­onstration of public’s power has sent a strong and clear message that the nation can no longer tol­erate lawlessness and fascism in this country and stand firm with their courts, they added.