Verdict reserved on petition against PDM

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday reserved verdict on the maintainability of a petition against Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) for holding its protest outside the building of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). After hearing initial arguments of the petitioner’s counsel, Justice Shahid Jamil Khan reserved his verdict on the point of the jurisdiction of the court to entertain such petition.

Muneer Ahmad moved the petition through Advocate Azhar Siddique saying the PDM’s protest was illegal and against the spirit of Article 16 of the Constitution, which provides the citizens fundamental right of assembly and the public order of the society.

The petitioner said the unconstitutional protests by the PDM clearly fell within the offences of high treason and sedition. He submitted that the protest being held by the PDM outside the ECP was unconstitutional as the latter was a constitutional body. He alleged that the protest was an attempt to hinder the ECP from following the constitutional mandate which had been set out for it in various provisions of the Constitution. The petitioner requested the court to order the government authorities to proceed against the PDM for their unconstitutional actions.