IHC chief questions Khyber Pakhtunkhwa advocate over PTI’s planned September protest

In a session of the Islamabad High Court, Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar admonished Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Advocate General Shah Faisal Utmankhel for describing PTI’s planned September 27 long march as a move to strengthen the judiciary, asking rhetorically whether the courts were that weak. The petition, filed by citizen Waqas Ahmed, argues the demonstration could disturb traffic and business in Islamabad. Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan warned that government machinery must not be employed for partisan protests and that officials are bound by court directives, citing a 2024 order that required compliance from the KP chief secretary and police chief.

The bench also referenced a previous PTI rally in 2024 that led to clashes in the Red Zone. After hearing arguments, the court ordered the KP chief secretary, inspector general of police and other senior officials from all provinces to appear on September 11 and gave the KP advocate a one-day deadline to begin his response. The hearing highlights tensions between the judiciary and provincial authorities over the use of state resources for political actions.