PDM chief announces sit-in outside Supreme Court

Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Friday announced holding a sit-in outside the Supreme Court in protest against the apex court’s decision to release PTI chief Imran Khan, Aaj News reported.

Addressing a press conference alongside other PDM leaders in Islamabad, Fazl said that workers of all PDM parties will gather outside the Supreme Court for a “powerful but peaceful” sit-in outside the top court on Monday.

He said there will be no agitation from their side, however, if “anyone tries to use force against us, we will retaliate with full might.”

Fazl’s hard-hitting presser comes a day after Supreme Court nullified Imran Khan’s arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust case on Thursday. Later on Friday, the PTI chief secured protective bail in various cases for two weeks.

A bench comprising Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb and Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz announced the decision.

During the hearing, Justice Aurangzeb asked Imran if he condemned the violence that followed his arrest. The PTI chief’s lawyer replied in the affirmative. The judge then asked him to submit a declaration in court stating the same.

Later, a separate bench granted protective bail to Imran in the Zille Shah murder case. Zille Shah was a PTI worker who died when police conducted an operation at Imran’s Zaman Park residence in March 2023. A case was registered against Imran for his murder.

During the presser today, Fazl said the decision was made during the coalition parties’ meeting earlier in the day. Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz joined the meeting via video link and Akhtar Mengal, Akram Durrani and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi stood alongside Fazal as he made the announcement.

“We will tell the Supreme Court that it is mother of the law not mother in law,” Fazal said, adding that the SC was issuing orders beyond the scope of law and constitution.

“The judges are men made of flesh like us, not heavenly beings,” Fazal said. “They go beyond the constitution to an extent that they do not even consider the parliament to be supreme.”

Fazal said that the PDM had decided to protest against the SC’s attitude and appealed to the “entire nation” to make their way to Islamabad on Monday.

“I want to tell my workers, leave whatever you are doing and make your way to Islamabad.” Fazal said. “If someone stops us, we will answer with slaps, sticks and stones.”

He said that by giving ‘facilities’ to Imran Khan, the court had given protection against corruption and encouragement to those who were involved in it.

“Was such relief extended to three-time Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif?” Fazal asked.

He said that Imran was being given VVIP protocol, while ghunda-gardi persisted throughout the country. Fazal said that relief given by the Supreme Court to Imran was akin to giving ‘protection’ to terrorism.

Fazal said that the GHQ, houses of corp commanders, and even monuments to the army’s martyrs had been attacked in the protests after Imran’s arrests.

Fazal also said that disqualifying an elected representative was ‘the easier thing to do’ and said that the PDM rejects the 3-2 decision given by the court to hold elections in Punjab on May 14.