SC summons interior secy, Islamabad IGP over roads closure

The Supreme Court on Wednesday, while hearing a petition against the closure of roads and raids on PTI workers, summoned the interior secretary and the Islamabad police chief among others to submit a response in the case. A three-judge bench of the apex court, led by Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan and comprising Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, took up the petition filed by IHCBA President Shoaib Shaheen. The petition urged the SC to direct the government to open roads blockaded with containers across the twin cities in the wake of the long march by the former ruling PTI. Justice Ijazul Ahsan said schools and transport have been shut down while all hospitals were on an emergency alert. He added: “The country was going through a precarious economic condition and was on the brink of bankruptcy.” Read Islamabad braces for PTI's long march as crackdown intensifies According to the judge: “Will the government bring the entire country to a standstill in response to every protest.” Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf said that he did not know about the situation in detail and sought time to gather information about the blockades. Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi asked whether the AG didn’t know about the current situation. Justice Naqvi added that half of the staff of the top court could not reach the SC as roads were blocked. However, the court allowed the AGP time to submit the government’s response and adjourned the hearing till 12pm today. It also summoned the advocate generals from all provinces and the federal capital along with the Islamabad chief commissioner and assistant commissioner.

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