Pakistan: Supreme Court dismisses plea to stop Imran Khan's long march

Islamabad [Pakistan], November 17(ANI): The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday dismissed Ulema-e-Islam Pakistan Senator Kamran Murtaza's petition to stop Pakistan Imran Khan's ongoing long march, deeming it as "non-maintainable", the Dawn reported.
The petition adds "the sole purpose of such march is nothing more than to again, inter alia, create a situation of chaos and panic in the country through the use of force and illegal arms. It also highlights that ex-PM Imran "is preparing his party workers for waging a so called jihad against the state."
A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice (CJ) Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ayesha Malik, and newly elevated Justice Athar Minallah heard the plea in the apex court in Islamabad.
At the onset of the hearing, Senator Murtaza informed the court that the long march will reach Islamabad on Friday or Saturday, according to PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry.
"Daily activities can be disrupted due to the long march," he said. "The long march is PTI's right but that should not violate the rights of a common man."
Justice Malik asked if the government has formulated any plans to regulate protests. Justice Minallah termed the match an "executive matter", urging the petitioner to approach the government instead of the court.
"The judiciary can only interfere during exceptional circumstances," he said, asking that "if the administration can control the situation, why should the court interfere?"
PTI chairman and deposed premier Imran Khan on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that he and the participants of his party's Azadi March had not deliberately violated its May 25 orders about the limits set for it, claiming that he was unaware about the verdict.
Chief Justice Bandial said that the petition referred to the violations committed during the previous march. "The long march is a political problem that can be resolved politically," he said, maintaining that a strange situation can arise if the court begins interfering in such matters, Dawn reported.
The top judge also referred to an audio clip of a PTI leader where the conversation revolved around bringing weapons to the march, and which was mentioned in the plea. "The law and order situation can be affected [regardless of the debate that whether] the audio is real or fake," he said.
Justice Minallah asked the petitioner if protesters were carrying weapons during the first long march held by PTI this year on May 25.
In his response, Senator Murtaza said an entire province has been paralysed due to the long march, to which CJP Bandial told the JUI-F leader that he had approached the court on the basis of assumptions, Dawn reported.
"The judiciary will intervene if there is a clear threat of constitutional violation," the top judge stated.
The petitioner replied saying that the plea also highlighted previous constitutional violations committed.
In response, CJP Bandial said that perhaps the other parties had a different position on the violations. "Matters become complicated for the Supreme Court when its order is violated."
Imran Khan had previously gotten in trouble when his party's long march 'Haqeeqi Azadi March' had violated a court order to hold their march between federal capital sectors H-9 and G-9. Disobeying these orders the march participants reached Islamabad's D- Chowk, The Express Tribune reported.
This long march has also harmed Imran Khan physically as he was shot on November 3 this year. Although he had survived the minor injuries and is continuing the march ever since.(ANI)