IHC says no gatherings in breach of assembly law ‘will be permitted’

Entrance door to the Supreme Court building in Islamabad. —IHC website

ISLAMABAD: Days before the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insafa protest in Islamabad, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has allowed the authorities concerned to prohibit the opposition party from organizing any protests or rallies in the federal capital in violation of the newly enacted Peaceful Assembly Act.

This judgment was announced after the IHC president held a hearing earlier today on a petition filed by advocate Rizwan Abbasi on behalf of the president of the business association.

Home Minister Mohsin Naqvi also appeared at today’s hearing after being summoned by the court.

In the verdict issued after the hearing, IHC president Aamer Farooq ordered the authorities concerned to form a committee “which would preferably be headed by the Minister of Interior or another person to engage with” the PTI leadership, informing them of the sensitivity of the matter over the weekend in connection with the visit of the President of Belarus.

This is a developing story and is being updated with more details.