September 10, 2026
By Hashir Ahsan
ISLAMABAD
A larger bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), comprising Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar, Justice Muhammad Azam Khan, and Justice Muhammad Asif, heard the case against PTI’s protest and long march scheduled for September 27, in which Attorney General (AG) Mansoor Usman Awan appeared at the rostrum on a short notice by the Chief Justice.
The Attorney General informed the court that commitments made to the Supreme Court in May 2022 and the clear orders of this court in November 2024 were violated, adding that both experiences of PTI’s protests have taught a great deal. He read out the Supreme Court’s 2022 judgment in which Justice Yahya Afridi incorporated the statement of the founder of PTI into his order regarding the call for D-Chowk, noting that public property, including the green belt, was set on fire at that time.
Arguing the case, the Attorney General said that, according to information from the Advocate General Islamabad, no application from any political party has been received. However, there are reports that they are coming with greater preparation than in November 2024, and statements from the Chief Minister of KP and party leaders have already emerged saying they will besiege Islamabad, which cannot be ignored. He maintained that when it comes to the fundamental rights of citizens, the High Court can issue directions to anyone, while the petition requests an order directing IGs and Chief Secretaries not to use state machinery and officers even for peaceful protests.
Referencing the 2024 law and the Faizabad sit-in case judgment, the Attorney General stated that police service employees are bound to adhere to the Constitution, not to the provinces, and that this court can issue an order to prevent any province from disrupting the life of an ordinary person. He recalled that this court’s November 2024 order and orders issued regarding other provinces in missing persons cases were never challenged anywhere and are final, emphasizing that if an order comes from the High Court, it will be binding on all executive officials.
Upon inquiry by Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar as to whether the Chief Secretary and IG KP are bound by the 2024 order, the Attorney General affirmed that they are bound to comply. Subsequently, Advocate General Khyber Pukhtunkhwa (KP) Shah Faisal came to the rostrum and objected that the petition was premature and that statements of the provincial chief executive, who was not made a party to the case, were being discussed. To this, the Chief Justice clarified that the Islamabad High Court has the constitutional authority to protect the rights of citizens and no one will be allowed to violate them.
The KP Advocate General argued why the long march was being considered an attack when it was in favor of the judiciary, to which the Chief Justice replied with thanks, adding that the judiciary is not so weak as to need the support of any political party.
When the Advocate General KP raised the issue of non-compliance with court orders regarding a meeting with the founder of PTI and the matter of contempt of court, the Chief Justice remarked that the matter of contempt is between the court and the party committing contempt. The court rejected the Advocate General KP’s request for two days to prepare and, upon an adjournment plea, adjourned the hearing until tomorrow, summoning the IGs, Chief Secretaries of all provinces, and other officers to appear again tomorrow.