Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman has called upon party members across all political spectrums to join a protest in Islamabad, intending to persist until Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial steps down.
An alliance of 13 political parties, led by the ruling PDM, is prepared to stage a sit-in outside the Supreme Court, protesting what they perceive as the judiciary’s inappropriate support of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Imran Khan.
The demonstration coincides with a court hearing on a plea from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) requesting a review of a previous order to hold Punjab Assembly elections on May 14. This hearing is scheduled for a day after the court-imposed election deadline.
In a recent video message, Fazl urged all political party workers to unite at Constitution Avenue in Islamabad to protest against the perceived judicial protection of a criminal. He encouraged workers from all provinces to participate in the demonstration.
Fazl, who also presides over the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam’s (JUI) Fazl faction, criticized the judiciary’s bail provisions for Khan, which he sees as undermining the nation’s stability.
The PDM leader called on Ansarul Islam, a volunteer organization of JUI-F, to maintain peace during the protest, and invited lawyers to join the demonstration to uphold the rule of law.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) announced its intention to participate in the PDM’s sit-in. Party leaders, under the leadership of Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique, convened to make the decision.
In preparation for the protest, JUI’s Sindh Secretary General Allama Rashid Mahmood Soomro stated that a caravan of party workers would depart from Karachi, criticizing the apex court’s alleged favoritism towards PTI.
As the protest looms, a security plan meeting called by the Supreme Court Registrar saw the absence of key police officials, leading to concerns about ensuring security arrangements for the upcoming event.
, has called for a nationwide protest outside the Supreme Court in Islamabad. The sit-in, involving an alliance of 13 political parties, seeks the resignation of Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial){kind=link}