The Supreme Court (SC) rejected on Thursday the government’s request to bar former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan from creating a perceived law and order situation through a planned long march, Aaj News reported.
A five-member larger bench, headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, and comprising Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi, and Justice Sayyed Mazhar Ali Akbar Naqvi took up the case.
The government had filed a contempt petition against Imran for disregarding the orders of the top court passed on May 25 on a petition filed by the Islamabad High Court Bar Association.
The SC had allowed the PTI to hold its Azadi March protest near Peshawar Mor between the H-9 and G-9 area of Islamabad.
Imran warns of long march if election date not given in 'few days'
In the same contempt petition, the federal government requested the SC for a restraining order against Imran from creating a perceived law and order situation through an intended march, at a time when flood-affected people require urgent relief.
During the hearing, the CJP said that the government can deal with the situation in accordance with the law, saying that steps should be taken wherever there are threats in cities.
“You should request the court to stop the crowd when people gather. There is no crowd right now,” Justice Bandial said.
Meanwhile, addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Monday, the PTI chairman said that if the election date is not announced by the government in a few more days he will call the party's long march towards Islamabad, warning that he would not delay it beyond October.
Imran said he wanted to give the government a few more days for the sake of the country.
"I repeat that they still have time to announce elections, and if they don’t, I will begin my march, and my preparations are almost complete," Imran said.
The PTI chief hailed his supporters and voters for the landslide victory in the by-elections on Sunday.