'Is judiciary so weak that you wish to strengthen it?' IHC CJ asks as KP counsel justifies PTI’s Sept 27 march

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar on Thursday admonished Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Advocate General Shah Faisal Utmankhel after he described PTI’s September 27 protest call as a move in support of the judiciary. The PTI has announced a nationwide protest on Sept 27 to demand the release of party founder Imran Khan and mobilise people for the supremacy of the Constitution. A citizen, Waqas Ahmed, had challenged the planned move in the IHC on the grounds that the protest could disrupt routine life, traffic and business activities in the federal capital. On Tuesday, CJ Dogar decided to form a larger bench to hear the petition, observing the sensitive nature of the matter. As Utmankhel appeared before the IHC on Thursday, he contended that the PTI long march was also being organised in support of the judiciary.

“Thank you very much for wanting to strengthen the judiciary,” the chief justice remarked sarcastically, before asking: “Is the judiciary so weak that you wish to strengthen it? ” CJ Dogar observed that the judiciary was not so weak as to require the support of a political party. At the outset of the hearing, Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan contended that government machinery could not be used for political protests. AGP Awan said no government officer should comply with an order contrary to the Constitution and the law. However, he added that it would be difficult for an officer to refuse an order issued by the chief executive of a province, referring to KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, who belongs to the PTI. “If this court issues an order, it will be binding on anyone holding an executive position,” the attorney general said, adding that clear judicial directives would make it easier for civil…