LHC Summons DC, SSP On Aurat March NOC Refusal

The registrar had fixed the plea for hearing before Justice Muzammil Akhtar, but he recused himself from hearing the case citing personal reasons.

The petition was then sent to the LHC chief justice and later fixed for hearing in the court of Justice Anwar Hussain.

Those who appeared in the court on behalf of the petitioner, included LHCBA secretary Sabahat Rizvi and Advocate Asad Jamal.

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Hearing the case, Justice Hussain summoned DC Haider and the SSP on March 7, a day before the rally.

The petition

The petition argued that the deputy commissioner’s order was an “arbitrary and colorable exercise of power and was in plain violation of the fundamental rights provided in the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan”.

The petition added that the deputy commissioner’s order was “not limited to the right to assembly, freedom of speech, as well as the right to non-discrimination and to be treated in accordance with the law as guaranteed in articles 15, 16, 17, 19 and 25, respectively.” It asked the court to overturn the commissioner’s order.

DC's refusal

DC Haider had rejected the plea in the wake of threat alerts from security agencies. "Following the current security scenario, threat alerts, and law and order situation, and in light of activities like controversial cards and banners for awareness of women’s rights and the strong reservation of the general public and religious organizations, especially JI’s women’s and student wings, who had also announced a program against the Aurat March."