LHC turns down plea for stopping PTI's long march.

LAHORE -- The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday turned down a request to pass an immediate restraining order against the ongoing long march of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) but summoned senior officials of the interior ministry, provincial government and police.

Justice Jawad Hassan was hearing a petition of Naeem Mir, a leader of traders, seeking a direction to the government functionaries to stop the long march of the PTI due to alleged damage being caused to business activities in the country.

During the hearing, Advocate Hafiz Nauman Zafar, the petitioner's counsel, argued before the court that his client also wanted the government authorities make arrangements for the protection of life and liberty of the businessmen as well as the public at large.

He said the respondents should take steps for improvement of the law and order situation in the country and arranging an open place outside the cities for lawful demonstrations, protests or processions by the political parties, till a final decision of this petition. He said the workers of the PTI blocked entrance and exit points on the motorways and other main roads.

Summons govt, police officers on 14th

Asked about the maintainability of the petition under Article 199 of the Constitution, the counsel told the judge that the LHC already passed a detailed judgement on similar facts and circumstances regarding the procession held by a political party in Lahore in 2020 in the case of 'Haris Bin Hassan Jang versus Federation of Pakistan' (2021 CLC 413).

He pointed out that the court had held that every political party, under the provisions of Article 16 of the Constitution, had a...