The Lahore High Court ruled that PTI should challenge the Deputy Commissioner’s refusal to permit a public rally at Minar-e-Pakistan instead of seeking direct relief from the court.
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) seeking permission to hold a public rally at Minar-e-Pakistan, ruling that the request had become unnecessary after the Deputy Commissioner had already rejected the application.
Justice Waqas Rauf heard the petition filed by PTI Lahore President Mian Usman Akram. During the proceedings, Punjab government’s Assistant Advocate General Farrukh Khan Lodhi opposed the plea, arguing that the rally could not be permitted due to potential security threats and terrorism concerns in Lahore.
The provincial law officer informed the court that the Deputy Commissioner had already rejected PTI’s request following a high-level security meeting that reviewed the prevailing law and order situation.
The court observed that since the Deputy Commissioner had already passed an order on the application, the appropriate legal remedy for the petitioner was to challenge that decision rather than seek direct permission from the High Court.
Justice Rauf also questioned the legal basis under Article 199 of the Constitution for the court to directly grant permission for a political gathering, emphasizing that any such relief must have clear legal justification.
PTI had argued that holding a public meeting at Minar-e-Pakistan is a constitutional right enjoyed by every citizen and political party. The party maintained that it had submitted its application for permission on July 22 but initially received no decision from the district administration, prompting it to approach the court.
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