Interior Ministry Granted More Time to Submit Report on PTI Protest

Islamabad: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has granted the Interior Ministry additional time to submit a report on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protest. Chief Justice of the IHC, Amir Farooq, remarked that the court’s order was simple — to maintain law and order — but the authorities had complicated the matter.
The hearing was related to a contempt of court petition filed by traders regarding violations of the IHC’s order during PTI’s November 24 protest. The Federal Secretary of Interior, Captain (retd) Khurram Ali Agha, submitted a response stating that a committee, including the Interior Minister, Secretary of Interior, Chief Commissioner, and IG Islamabad, had been formed as per the court’s instructions. PTI’s leadership, including Barrister Gohar, was repeatedly contacted and informed about the need to submit a formal request for the protest under the new law.
Despite these efforts, PTI did not submit any request for the protest. The Interior Ministry also suggested a specific location for the protest, but PTI continued to hold their rally at D-Chowk. The Secretary of Interior assured the court that as a civil servant, he could never contemplate contempt of court and stated that security arrangements were made to minimize public inconvenience.
During the hearing, representatives from the Department of Law, State Counsel, and police authorities submitted reports. When the Chief Justice inquired about the report from the Interior Ministry, the ministry requested more time to file it.
State Counsel Abdul Rahman informed the court that the report had not yet been submitted and requested additional time. Chief Justice Farooq expressed frustration, questioning why the report had not been filed and emphasized that the court only wanted to know what actions had been taken.
The court remarked that the order was clear: to maintain public order and protect citizens’ rights, but the authorities had made the issue unnecessarily complex. The IHC then granted the Interior Ministry further time to submit the report and adjourned the case until next week.