A single-member bench of Islamabad High Court comprising Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui will take up a petition today seeking directives for Islamabad administration to take action against a prolonged sit-in at Faizabad Interchange of twin cities by non-state actors who are activists of a religious group. Rana Abdul Qayyum Advocate, former Chief Warrant Officer of Pakistan Air Force, filed a petition before the Islamabad High Court through his counsel Inamul Rahim making Federation of Pakistan through secretary Ministry of Interior, inspector general of police, chief commissioner and deputy commissioner Islamabad as respondents.
Rana submitted that the sit-in by non-state actors under the leadership of Lahore-based cleric is violating fundamental rights of the citizens of Islamabad, Rawalpindi and surrounding areas. Khadim Hussain Rizvi is leading a rally to the capital on the issue of Khatam-e-Nabuwat (Finality of the Prophethood) belief. Qayyum appraised the court that participants of the sit-in who had blocked the roads, stopped him while he was returning to home situated in Ghauri Town from District Courts Islamabad on November 10. "They were armed with rods and sticks and did not let any vehicle or motorcycle passed through Islamabad Expressway. When the petitioner asked them the reason for blocking the public road, they started hurling filthy abuses to the petitioner and lawyers in general. They held the petitioner from the neck and threw him on the ground, and started beating him with sticks and kicks and punches and kept saying that you are hypocrite and infidel."
Rana claimed that a "Pir Sahab" who "came and picked up him with the help of other men and threw him in a van and again started beating him with sticks and punches. "The self-styled Pir was saying that "this lawyer is an apostate and he should be killed and should not be left," Rana submitted. The petitioner said that he was then taken to other side of the bridge where two other persons were also lying injured where he was beaten again, adding that then a man with a white beard came and started inquiring the petitioner to whom he told that he is retired from the Pakistan Air Force as the chief Warrant Officer and since then he has been a practicing lawyer.
Rana further said that the person introduced himself as a retired chief tech officer of Pakistan Air Force and his name was Hafeez who claimed to be in-charge of the sit-in and provided cell number to the petitioner. Rana said that he was freed on the condition of bringing his ex-servicemen colleagues in the evening to join their sit-in whereas his mobile phone, wallet and motorcycle were also handed over.
The petitioner said that the sit-in has curbed the rights of the people because these non-state actors have blocked the main entry route between Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Rana said that due to the illegal sit-in in the capital, the petitioner along with other residents of Islamabad cannot travel to their workplace and students cannot go to their educational institutions.