LHC reserves verdict on maintainability of plea against PDM protest in front of ECP

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday reserved verdict on maintainability of a petition against Pakistan Democratic Movement's (PDM) protest in front of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on January 19.

The single bench comprising Justice Shahid Jamil Khan heard the petition filed by Munir Ahmad.

Advocate Muhammad Azhar Siddique on behalf of the petitioner stated that the PDM was holding a protest rally in front of the ECP. He submitted that the ECP had already asked the Islamabad administration to allow the protest in a specific area near Constitution Avenue only so that its working should not be affected.

He submitted that the protest was unconstitutional as it was an attempt to stop the ECP from performing its constitutional mandate.

He contended that the protest was also in clear violation of Articles 4, 5, 9, 15, 16 and 17 of the Constitution. He pleaded with the court to issue directions for stopping the protest.

In response to a court query, a federal law officer submitted that the PDM had not sought any permission for the protest from the Islamabad administration.

The court asked petitioner's counsel how the LHC could hear the matter as the protest was being held in Islamabad.

To which, the counsel replied that the LHC had heard cases about the Inqalab March in 2014.

Subsequently, the court, after hearing the arguments, reserved its verdict on maintainability of the petition.