ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan Wednesday issued notices to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri while hearing the case pertaining to a likely extra-constitutional step.
A four-member larger bench, headed by Chief Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk and comprising Justice Jawwad S. Khawaja, Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, Justice Saqib Nisar and Justice Asif Saeed Khan, Khosa was hearing the petition filed by the Lahore High Court’s Multan Bar Association.
The court said that several lawyers could not attend the hearing due to the road closure, caused by the sit-ins of PTI and PAT. During the hearing, the court summoned Imran Khan and Dr Tahirul Qadri to explain their stance on Thursday. It also issued notices to law and interior secretaries.
Justice Jawwad S Khawaja remarked that the Constitution provided a procedure to remove the prime minister, and anyone who would try to employ any unconstitutional step would create chaos and anarchy. He said “No one can be allowed to spread anarchy in the name of freedom of expression,”.
The attorney general argued that any effort to remove the government through power was illegal and unconstitutional. Therefore, the sit-ins by the PTI and PAT to remove the present regime were in violation of articles 18, 19 and 20 of the Constitution, he added.
Justice Saqib Nisar remarked that the court would not intervene in the political matters but would only look into the fundamental rights. He also questioned whether anyone had the right to lead a crowd inside the Supreme Court, and said “There’s a limit to everything.”=DNA
