The petitioner's counsel, however, opposed the DC's stance, saying that they seized their loaded containers and later released them when a senior police officer of SSP rank intervened and asked the officials to release the containers. Later, the court noted in its verdict, "The detention of containers loaded with commercial goods without the consent of the owners for the purposes of being used to maintain public order is in violation of the Constitution."
It added, "The federal government is directed to ensure that the lawful transportation of containers loaded with commercial goods owned by the traders are not interfered with or obstructed for extraneous reasons." The verdict further said, "The deputy commissioner Islamabad Capital Territory, who has appeared today, has stated that no container loaded with commercial goods owned by a trader has been detained or obstructed within the Islamabad Capital Territory. The Instant petition, therefore, stands disposed of with the expectation that public authorities acting on behalf of the State will ensure that the fundamental rights of the public are safeguarded."
Earlier, the IHC summoned the deputy commissioner (DC) and SSP Traffic in a petition regarding containers being held for the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) march. The petition was filed by a private company and cited the Interior Ministry and home departments and inspectors general of police of Punjab and Sindh as respondents.
The transport company moved the court against the forced acquisition of its containers by police for blocking roads ahead of Azadi march. The lawyer representing the company Muhammad Safdar Janjua stated that his client was engaged in the business of import and distribution of perishable goods including vegetables and fruits from China. Police have seized many containers of the company for blocking roads ahead of the Azadi March, the counsel said.