IHC disposes of bail pleas of PTM protesters

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday disposed of the bail petitions of Pakhtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) protesters after thecancellation of First Information Report (FIR) against them.

Hearing the case, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah remarked that the bail petitions of 23 protesters had become ineffective after the statement of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration. During the course of the proceeding, Deputy Commissioner ICT Hamza Shafqaat informed the bench that the FIR against the protesters had been dropped.

The chief justice remarked the freedom of expression of the people should not be curbed in a democratic dispensation. He remarked the constitutional courts were working to protect the rights of the people, saying: “This is Pakistan, not India”.

Advocate General Tariq Mehmood Jahangir said the country had been fighting terrorism for the last 20 years, alleging the secret agenda of the protesters was worrisome. He pleaded no one should say anything against the state and prayed the court to issue a written order against those who spoke against the state or made hate speeches.

To this, Justice Minallah remarked the state was not so weak that anything was done with someone’s utterances. It may be mentioned here that the IHC had sought explanation from ICT magistrate for ordering adding Anti Terrorism Act sections in the FIR against the protesters.