The Supreme Court dismissed a verbal request on Wednesday to take suo motu notice of deaths during the PTI protest in Islamabad.
During a hearing, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Additional Advocate General (AAG) urged the constitutional bench to intervene, stating, “There were deaths on both sides yesterday, and the bench should take suo motu notice.” Government officials reported the deaths of three Rangers and two police personnel, while PTI claimed eight of its members were killed.
The AAG made this request via video link during a case related to the climate change authority. Justice Musarrat Hilali advised against making political statements in court. Justice Aminuddin Khan, heading the bench, stated that the court could not act on matters not formally presented. Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail added that the bench would avoid addressing issues beyond its jurisdiction. The bench then rejected the plea.
Earlier, PTI suspended its protest after a midnight crackdown by law enforcement dispersed its supporters. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar criticized PTI, calling the protest a failure. He mocked it as “not a final call but merely a missed call,” citing the disarray he saw while traveling from D-Chowk to Eleventh Avenue.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, in a late-night press conference, condemned PTI’s actions. He accused them of making threats and causing significant damage, questioning how many more such incidents the country would have to endure.
