ISLAMABAD - The opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-lnsaf (PTI) on Monday announced to hold public gatherings at 101 designated locations in the federal capital on May 14 — the day that was fixed by the Supreme Court for holding of the general elections in Punjab.
The local chapter of PTI decided to hold protest rallies on the call of party chief Imran Khan to express solidarity with the Supreme Court and Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial.
The three-member bench of SC headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial in its order had fixed May 14 as the polls date in Punjab but the federal government refused to release the required funds to the Election Commission for holding of elections.
PTI Islamabad region President Ali Nawaz Awan formally wrote a letter to the deputy commissioner Islamabad seeking permission to hold “Peaceful Assembly” in the federal capital.
In view of the supremacy of the constitution, he requested that the Islamabad Administration should make necessary security arrangements for these public gatherings, besides making other preparations in this regard.
Separately, PTI Senior Vice President Dr. Shireen Mazari urged the UN human rights organizations to take notice of alleged gross violations of human rights in the federal capital. She lashed out at the Islamabad police for “their barbaric act of dragging and detaining peaceful PTI women and innocent children.”
Addressing a press conference here along with PTI Islamabad region President Awan, she said that international human rights organizations should take notice of the “barbarism” on PTI women unleashed by Islamabad police.
She went on to say that the constitution was virtually dysfunctional as the laws were being flouted and violated openly during the last one year.
Mazari reiterated that peaceful gatherings were their constitutional and fundamental right but raids were carried out by unknown persons in civilian clothes without any warrants in a bid to intimidate and terrify their workers in every possible way.
Speaking on the occasion, Awan said that two of the PTI women were waiting on a sidewalk to welcome the party’s rally at F-9 Park but they were detained and tortured by police.
The PTI Islamabad President alleged that during the last one year, Islamabad police crossed all limits of cruelties, as Islamabad’s Inspector General of Police Dr Akbar Nasir Khan was specially called from Lahore for this purpose and the situation was in front of everyone.
