ISLAMABAD: On Wednesday, Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Aamer Farooq voiced his displeasure with the government’s response to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protest, which involved extensive lockdown-like measures in Islamabad aimed at preventing party supporters from attending the “do-or-die” rally planned for the capital.
“The PTI was wrong, but so was the government,” stated Justice Farooq during a hearing of a contempt petition filed by local traders.
The judge condemned the government’s decision to effectively shut down the city, saying, “You were supposed to maintain peace, yet you locked down the entire city.”
In response to the PTI’s protest call, which was issued by the party’s founder, the government took swift action to stop protesters from reaching the capital. This included the deployment of large numbers of riot police and the blocking of major roads within the city and routes leading into Islamabad with shipping containers.
Despite these efforts, PTI convoys successfully entered the city, reaching key locations such as D-Chowk in the Red Zone, home to significant government buildings including the Parliament House.
The protest, described by PTI as the “final call,” ultimately ended when the government launched a midnight crackdown on protesters, forcing the party to retreat. PTI has since claimed that several of its workers were killed, with up to 1,000 arrested, though the government denies using live ammunition against demonstrators.
Justice Farooq highlighted the IHC’s November 21 ruling, which had explicitly instructed authorities to protect the rights of citizens, traders, and protesters. Turning to PTI, the Chief Justice said the party would also be held accountable for not complying with court orders, questioning, “What was the fault of the petitioners? Why were their businesses forced to shut down?”
The judge also shared his personal experience, saying, “Islamabad was locked down in such a way that even judges, including myself, could not enter.” He added, “I became a victim of my own order.”
The court has asked the Ministry of Interior to submit a detailed report on the events and postponed the hearing until next week.
The traders’ petition focused on the financial losses caused by the extended roadblocks and demanded accountability from both the government and PTI.
