Supreme Court Rejects Plea for Suo Motu on PTI Protest Deaths
Islamabad:The Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday rejected a plea for suo motu action regarding the deaths that occurred during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protest on November 26. The protest, aimed at marching towards Islamabad’s D-Chowk, resulted in fatalities from both sides.
During the hearing, the counsel for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government argued that the Supreme Court should take suo motu notice of the matter, as multiple fatalities had occurred during the PTI’s protest. The KP government’s lawyer stated that both the police and the protestors had suffered casualties, and the court should intervene on its own.
However, the bench, led by Chief Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan, rejected the plea. Justice Khan remarked, *”This issue is not before us, and we cannot entertain it. We are not interested in discussing it.”*
Justice Musarrat Hilali, addressing the KP government’s lawyer, further stated, *”Do not bring political matters to the Supreme Court. We are not here to entertain political discussions.”*
The Constitutional Bench, under the leadership of Justice Amin-ud-Din, formally dismissed the request for taking suo motu notice of the deaths during the PTI protest.
In a separate case concerning the Climate Change Authority, the Additional Advocate General for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa appeared via video link to present arguments.
This marks another episode in the ongoing legal and political tensions surrounding the PTI’s recent protests, which have resulted in fatalities and raised questions regarding the handling of political demonstrations in the country.