KP moves PHC against federal, Punjab govts

Action against PTI protestors

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Friday filed a writ petition in the Peshawar High Court (PHC) against both the federal and Punjab governments for using force against peaceful protesters.

The federal and Punjab governments blocked the roads to Islamabad and used teargas shells on Chief Minister Pervez Khattak-led procession that was on its way from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Islamabad to participate in the protest against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on the issue of Panama Papers leaks.

Chief Minister Pervez Khattak as chief executive of the province and ministers including Education Minister Muhammad Atif and Senior Minister Shahram Khan on Friday filed the petition through their legal counsel Babar Awan.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Punjab IG Police Mushtaq Sukhera, DCO Attock Rana Akbar Hayat, DPO Attock Zahid Nawaz Marwat, Director NHA and the federation through secretary interior were made parties in the writ petition.

The provincial government is seeking orders from the court to declare the whole action of the respondents against the peaceful protest rally, registration of first information reports and violence on citizens unconstitutional, unlawful, without jurisdiction and against the fundamental rights as enshrined by the Constitution.

The 10-page writ petition stated that the Motorway from Peshawar to Islamabad was constructed on resources from the public exchequer and it is the property of the nation and not of the prime minister and Punjab chief minister.

“The biggest global theft was unearthed by a law firm in Panama, where the family members of the prime minister and chief minister are mentioned as owners of properties abroad worth billions of rupees,” the petition stated. It said the whole nation wants accountability of the Sharif family.

It stated that PTI chairman Imran Khan, along with likeminded opposition parties, announced protest to achieve the end of meaningful accountability of the ruling Sharif family and November 2, 2016 was fixed for the protest in the capital city Islamabad.

“The respondents were duly informed in writing about the peaceful rally from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but the interior minister on October 29 made a statement widely published in media declaring even movement around the capital as unlawful. It said even the chief minister would not be allowed to keep security,” the petition stated.

It was stated that on October 31, the chief minister along with Speaker of the KP Assembly and provincial cabinet addressed a peaceful rally in Swabi to mark a day of reminder to the federal government of its obligation to come clean on the Panama financial scandal involving the prime minister and his family.

It was claimed in the petition that when the chief minister along with cabinet members and MPAs and people from various walks of life were on their way to Islamabad, the Punjab police baton-charged them first at Aurangabad and then at Burhan interchange on the orders of federal and Punjab governments and also fired teargas shells.

“Teargas and baton charge were so intense and brutal that the lives of the chief minister, ministers, MPAs and other people were put at risk,” the petition stated, adding that several people were injured and hundreds rendered unconscious.

It said that vehicle of the chief minister was specifically targeted with intense shelling and the video footage of the private TV channels is also a witness to the indiscriminate use of state machinery at the behest of a few individuals.

It said baseless FIRs were also registered in the police stations of Islamabad. “The KP governor also issued an unconstitutional statement on the same date, threatening the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa about the imposition of Governor Rule in the province,” it said.

It was stated that the actions of the respondents were against Article 2, 14, 15, 17 and 24 of the Constitution and thus be declared as unlawful and unconstitutional.