It is thus the duty of public functionaries to ensure that the constitutionally guaranteed rights of every citizen are protected. Maintaining public order is a crucial responsibility of the state and its functionaries,” the IHC noted. “The right to protest is indeed not an absolute right but it is subject to reasonable conditions. It also noted that as the Islamabad administration and law enforcement agencies had not passed any order in connection with the JUI-F rally yet, the petitions against it were based on mere apprehensions. During the hearing, the IHC chief justice was irked by the petitioner’s arguments.

Source: The Express Tribune October 16, 2019 07:22 UTC