Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court Justice Athar Minallah has rejected the petition filed by PTI leader Asad Umar challenging the imposition of Section 144 in the capital.

The court announced the verdict reserved on the maintainability of the petition.

The federal government has imposed Section 144 for banning gatherings ahead of the expected march of the PTI. The party filed a petition in the IHC to nullify the notification but the IHC dismissed it after holding a hearing.

At the beginning of Monday’s hearing, PTI’s counsel Babar Awan argued that the district magistrate has imposed the section for two months which is against the law.

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A two-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Sardar Ijaz...

At this, the CJ inquired the petitioner how his rights are violated. In response, Awan said that a rally cannot be brought out in these circumstances.

Justice Minallah said that there’s a procedure that needs to be followed to seek permission for a rally and a judgment has also been issued in this regard. He also asked the counsel if he had read the plea.

“The party has government in two provinces have they never imposed Section 144?” asked the chief justice.

He said that the law and order is an executive matter and the court will never interfere in it.

“Did the PTI government never impose this law during their tenure in Islamabad?”

During an argument, the chief justice reminded that Umar is still an MNA.

“You have governments in Punjab and KP. Go and first repeal this law from the assemblies and then come to this court.”

After the arguments, the IHC reserved the verdict on the maintainability of the plea.