ISLAMABAD: On Wednesday, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) hinted at issuing a show cause notice to the city’s chief commissioner due to recurring road blockages, suggesting that the federal capital has effectively become a ‘container city.’
Chief Justice Aamer Farooq made these comments during a hearing on a contempt petition challenging the administration’s decision to revoke the “no-objection certificate” (NOC) granted to the opposition PTI for a public meeting.
Chief Justice Farooq observed that, in the absence of proper traffic management, office workers face significant delays. Access to Constitution Avenue from all roads except Margalla Road has been impeded, leading to long queues and a 40-50 minute delay to cover a distance of just half a kilometer. He remarked that the city appears to be virtually shut down with containers blocking roads everywhere.
The Chief Justice questioned why the district administration frequently blocks main roads under various pretexts and warned that the chief commissioner could be summoned if the situation does not improve, describing the current state as ‘undesirable.’
During the hearing, PTI’s counsel Shoaib Shaheen argued that the party had expected the district administration to avoid any show of force. He noted that the NOC was revoked at the last moment despite the district magistrate’s prior assurance to the court for the August 22 rally.
Justice Farooq asked the Advocate General about the reason for the NOC cancellation, to which the Advocate General replied that it was withdrawn due to concerns over law and order.
The Chief Justice criticized the district administration for canceling the NOC just hours before the event, emphasizing that political organizers, who had traveled from distant areas, were unfairly impacted by this sudden change. He stressed the need for timely communication regarding any security concerns to avoid putting party workers at risk.
The Advocate General informed the court that the district administration has issued a new NOC for September 8 and assured that this permission would not be withdrawn. However, Justice Farooq stated that the court would not dismiss the matter and adjourned the proceedings until September 10.
