The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has resubmitted a review petition in the Supreme Court against its verdict in the Faizabad sit-in case, a private TV channel reported.
According to the plea, the verdict contained observations regarding the PTI sit-in but the party was not given a chance to present its side of the story. According to the petition, the judgment ‘suffers from defects’ and ‘needs to be reviewed to avoid injustice’. The party in its application has asked the SC to expunge certain remarks from the judgment about the 2014 sit-in staged by the PTI and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT).
PTI has stressed in the petition that the suo motu case heard by the SC pertained to the 2017 TLP sit-in rather than to the PTI-PAT protest. “However, the reference to the PTI-PAT dharna was made in paragraphs 17, 22, 23, 24 and 52 of the judgment under review. The impression gained from the aforesaid is that as if the petitioner conducted an illegal protest for publicity and deliberately made wrong allegations,” states the petition. As per the petition: A. That once the Faizabad dharna has been concluded, the remarks mentioned above were unnecessary and liable to be expunged. B. That it is respectfully submitted that the petitioner conducted the dharna for genuine reasons and the same was in accordance with the fundamental rights of the people of Pakistan. The dharna was neither for publicity nor for any ulterior motives and the petitioner raised political demands and stood up for the civil rights of the citizens of Pakistan. The petitioner had nothing to do with the Faizabad dharna. The remarks in the judgment under review to the contrary therefore need to be expunged. C. That the aforesaid observations were made without hearing the petitioner and giving any opportunity to explain. Such observations are liable to be expunged.
