Capital on tenterhooks as PDM stages SC dharna today.

ISLAMABAD -- The ruling alliance is all set to stage a sit-in right outside the Supreme Court building today (Monday) to protest against what it describes as the judiciary's preferential treatment of former premier and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan.

The ruling alliance - Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) - on May 12 announced holding the sit-in after the apex court came to the rescue of Imran Khan who was arrested from inside the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on May 9 on the order of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

Addressing a press conference on Friday, PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said a protest will be held 'against the behaviour of the Supreme Court'.

'A big sit-in will be staged to express that the Supreme Court is the mother of law, not the mother-in-law,' Rehman said, as he called upon the supporters to reach Islamabad for the sit-in.

'Every citizen of the country will reach Islamabad on Monday and hold a peaceful demonstration outside the Supreme Court,' he added.

On Sunday, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah told a press conference that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had directed him to meet the PDM chief and ask him to change the venue of the sit-in.

Sanaullah said the administration had informed him that it will be very difficult to control the protest and that the information being received from security institutions was very alarming.

Later Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and Rana Sanaullah met Fazlur Rehman twice but the latter did not agree to change the venue of the protest. It was decided that the final decision with regard to the venue will be taken on Monday morning.

On Sunday night, the Maulana tweeted that a 'peaceful' sit-in would be staged outside the apex court.

The JUI-F also issued a statement which said the PDM was firm in its choice of venue, with Fazl and other leaders rejecting any chance of relocating the sit-in which is supposed to continue for an indefinite period.

Though the ruling parties have expressed their willingness to hold the protest outside the apex court, the application seeking permission from the authorities concerned remained pending till late midnight.

Apart from the PDM chief, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz, PPP Chairman and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto, and other leaders of the ruling alliance are expected to address the sit-in.

Read PDM stands firm on SC protest despite govt plea for relocation

The ruling coalition and a section...