ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s major opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), deferred today’s planned rally in Islamabad after the city administration canceled the issued no objection certificate (NOC).
PTI leadership has now approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking contempt of court proceedings against the district administration for disregarding a court order.
Earlier this week, PTI had petitioned the IHC to obtain the NOC from the administration. On Thursday, the IHC dismissed the petition after the state counsel claimed the NOC had already been granted for the rally.
Initially, on June 26, IHC’s Babar Sattar instructed PTI and the city administration to resolve the matter amicably. Following this, the deputy commissioner granted PTI permission for the rally. However, the Islamabad Chief Commissioner later suspended the NOC, citing the commencement of Muharram, security concerns, and local residents’ complaints.
In a letter dated July 5, the chief commissioner highlighted recent police recoveries of a substantial cache of weapons and ongoing intelligence-based operations in Tarnol. Due to security threats and insufficient manpower to safeguard both a local Imam Bargah and the rally during Muharram, the chief commissioner decided to suspend the NOC until Chehlum.
PTI’s petition filed in the IHC emphasized that the Islamabad DC had confirmed issuing the NOC on July 4. Nonetheless, PTI leaders learned about its suspension through a social media post.”
