There’s smooth flow of traffic on 3 lanes, SC told

KHUDAYAR MOHLA

ISLAMABAD: Claiming there is a smooth flow of traffic on three lanes of four-lane Constitution Avenue in pursuance of apex court’s orders, Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) urged the Supreme Court to dismiss the plea of the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) Multan Bench against sit-ins in Red Zone.

A five-member bench of Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk had issued notices to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and PAT Chief Tahirul Qadri for holding protest rallies on Constitution Avenue for fulfillment of their demands.

Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), all the provincial High Court Bar Association and Islamabad District Bar Association had also filed petitions against sit-ins on the Constitution Avenue; however, the LHCBA Multan bench made the PTI and PAT heads as respondents, invoking the apex court’s jurisdiction to issue notices to chiefs of both the parties.

The bench has repeatedly observed that it has nothing to do with political demands and agendas of PTI and PAT but it uphold the supremacy of Constitution that provides guarantee to freedom of expression without infringing anybody’s right of movement.

Filing a reply in response to apex court’s order of August 28, Barrister Ali Zafar, the counsel for PAT, submitted: “Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has desired the Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif to intervene in the matter of sit-ins, who in the national interest has accepted this role and conveyed his desire to the PAT as well as the PTI leaders for a response”.

Zafar further claimed that the PAT and PTI leaders have given a positive response and progress has been made in meetings with the Chief of Army Staff to end the current impasse. “The PAT is confident that it shall be resolved in the interest of democracy and the country,” Zafar said in a report that he submitted to the apex court’s Registrar office.

He said that the flow of traffic is proceeding smoothly on the Constitution Avenue, adding that the PAT gives assurance that 3 of the 4 lanes of Constitution Avenue will remain fully operational without any hindrance.