By Asif Naveed
ISLAMABAD (MNN); Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar on Thursday admonished Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Advocate General Shah Faisal Utmankhel after he described PTI’s planned September 27 protest as an effort to support the judiciary.
PTI has announced a nationwide protest on September 27, demanding the release of party founder Imran Khan and calling for the supremacy of the Constitution.
During the hearing of a petition challenging the planned protest, the KP advocate general said the long march was also intended to strengthen the judiciary.
Responding sarcastically, Chief Justice Dogar asked whether the judiciary was so weak that it needed the support of a political party. He observed that the courts did not require political backing.
Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan told the court that government machinery could not be used for political activities, even if a protest was peaceful. He said government officials were not required to follow directions contrary to the Constitution or law.
However, the attorney general noted that provincial officials could face difficulties refusing orders from a chief executive, referring to PTI-affiliated KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi. He maintained that any clear order issued by the IHC would be binding on provincial executive authorities.
The court questioned whether the KP chief secretary and police chief were bound by an earlier IHC order issued in 2024. The attorney general replied that they were required to implement it.
The KP advocate general objected to the maintainability of the petition, saying he had received the court notice only a day earlier and had not been able to review its contents. He also argued that the matter was premature and questioned why the proposed march was being viewed as an “attack”.
He further contended that court orders had not always been implemented in the past and referred to previous directions concerning meetings between Imran Khan, his family and party leaders. He said numerous contempt petitions had subsequently been filed.
The KP law officer sought two days to prepare his arguments, but the chief justice allowed him only until the following day and directed him to begin his submissions at the next hearing.
The court also directed him to produce a record of action taken in the past against officials or individuals who had violated court orders.
The IHC summoned the inspector generals and chief secretaries of all four provinces, along with other relevant officials, and directed them to appear before the court on September 11 (Friday).
