LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday directed Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT), chief provincial law officer and litigant to reach an amicable settlement with regard to venue for the party’s planned sit-in on Mall Road, keeping in view the security of public, ARY News reported.
Justice Mamoon Rasheed Sheikh was hearing the petition filed by trader Naeem Mir against the PAT for staging sit-in on The Mall (Istanbul Chowk).
The court further directed the PAT lawyer to apprise it of how long its sit-in will continue. It observed when the Model Town incident case was subjudice before a court why the party needed to stage sit-in. If any untoward incident took place who will responsible for it, the court asked.
PAT counsel Ishtiaq Chaudhry said it is fundamental right of every citizen to stage a protest.
Earlier, the petitioner’s counsel, Asad Manzoor Butt argued that the holding sit-in on Mall Road was violation of the court verdict and it was a court’s job to enforce its ruling.
Advocate General Punjab clarified that section 144 was imposed on Mall Road and the court had already given a verdict against holding sit-in on Mall Road. He said the PAT had not made any formal request to stage a protest as yet.
Chaudhry said the PAT had changed the venue of the protest from Punjab Assembly to The Mall (Istanbul Chowk).
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Earlier, PAT chief Tahir-ul-Qadri had announced that families of Model Town massacre and party workers will gather on Lahore’s Mall Road on Wednesday to demand publication of Baqir Najfi Commission report.
“I appeal to the Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court to order publication of the Najfi Commission report. We want to know what the report has revealed regarding the dismal incident,” Tahir-ul-Qadri said while talking to media.
He regretted that Justice Najfi Commission was set up to probe the killings of 14 people but its inquiry report was never made public.
