Pakistan govt gets three days to end sit-in

Islamabad: Pakistan’s Islamabad high court on Monday gave three days to the government to end the sit-in in Islamabad that has crippled life for more than two weeks.

The IHC criticised the federal government for not evicting protesters from Islamabad despite court orders. During the hearing of Islamabad sit-in by religious parties, Justice Shaukat Aziz asked why government was not doing anything for eviction.

“Due to the sit-in, 800, 000 people of Rawalpindi-Islamabad are suffering on daily bases but government is not taking care of it,” Justice Aziz remarked.

The deputy attorney general requested court to conduct hearing in private as “some issues cannot be discussed openly.”

Upon this the court remarked that people have right to know about important issues and reasons behind this sit-in.

Furthermore, Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal reached the court after being called by judge. “Why court orders have not been acted upon,” the minister was asked by the court. Mr Iqbal told the court that there was danger of bloodshed if force was used. Later, Mr Iqbal on Monday announced that the government would abide by the order of the court.

“We will implement the court’s order,” Iqbal asserted, referring to an earlier order issued by the IHC to the capital administration on Friday to evict the protesters by Saturday using “any means necessary” and with the help of the Frontier Constabulary and Rangers, if needed, the Dawn quoted him as saying.