PTI Receives Key Rally Approval from Islamabad District Administration for a significant event scheduled on August 22, 2024. This decision follows a detailed review by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) after PTI faced legal challenges regarding previous protest permissions..
During the hearing presided over by Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, PTI’s lawyer argued that their initial request on July 22, was for a protest on July 26, 2024. The court questioned the basis for the contempt claim, with the state council noting two orders had been issued permitting protests only after August 20, 2024.
Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb remarked that there was no grounds for the contempt claim, highlighting that past protests at Faizabad had caused national disruptions, including deaths due to blocked ambulance access. The court criticized the inconsistency in granting permits, stressing that the opposition should not face undue restrictions.
The court also addressed the need for clear rules regarding public spaces for protests, warning against the risk of turning the nation into a “banana republic” and deterring tourism. Justice Aurangzeb noted that the Election Commission monitors political party accounts and could potentially attach accounts of parties causing national harm during protests.
The PTI lawyer clarified that their application was for a protest outside the Press Club, not a rally, and that rally permissions were under review by the Chief Justice. Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb stated that the district administration’s approval for the August 22, 2024 rally was intended to illustrate that PTI’s previous request had not been arbitrarily denied.
Earlier on July 6, 2024 PTI had to cancel a rally in Islamabad following a dispute over the revocation of the No Objection Certificate (NOC). PTI leader Omar Ayub criticized the Islamabad administration’s decision, questioning its motives. Last week, IHC had also rejected PTI’s request for a protest, citing security concerns and the risk of exacerbating the situation in an already locked-down Islamabad.
PTI has announced nationwide protests on August 5, 2024 to demand the release of its founder, Imran Khan, and to address ongoing inflation issues.
