Maryam Nawaz, Maulana Fazlur Rehman join Pakistan ruling coalition's sit-in against judiciary

Islamabad: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Maryam Nawaz Sharif and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Monday joined the ruling coalition's sit-in outside the Supreme Court to protest against some of the recent rulings of the judiciary which they said provided blanket relief to former prime minister Imran Khan in a number of cases.

Demonstrators, belonging to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), earlier in the day entered the Red Zone despite Section 144 still in effect in the federal capital and set up a stage in front of the Supreme Court.

Fazlur Rehman, also the chief of PDM — a ruling alliance of 13 political parties, had on Friday announced to stage the sit-in outside the Supreme Court against Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial for facilitating Khan.

It was believed that demonstrators would leave the venue after a token protest but the JUI-F, which is one of the largest components of PDM, converted the protest into a "sit-in".

“The management committee has finalised arrangements for the protest-sit-in outside the Supreme Court Islamabad. The management committee has begun arrangements for converting the protest into a sit-in,” the JUI-F tweeted.

The party also said it would set up tents and build washrooms at the venue.

Protesters, demanding the resignation of the chief justice over ordering the release of 70-year-old Khan, chanted slogans against Bandial.

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who was earlier scheduled to join the protest, has been advised against it by senior members of his Pakistan People’s Party.

The PPP chairman was advised that it would be better if a party delegation participated in the PDM sit-in instead.

PPP leader Nisar Khoro was however seen standing alongside PDM leadership on the stage.

According to the district administration, protesters entered the Red Zone and pushed away the police and administration.

“Protesters were informed about the government’s orders on behalf of the administration,” the administration said.

Local administration and police have informed the interior ministry regarding the situation of the protest. “The district administration had decided to allow the PDM to protest, but subject to the approval of the interior ministry.” Dawn News reported that all routes going toward the Red Zone were closed to traffic.

Meanwhile, ousted prime minister Imran Khan, 70, said that on the one hand, PDM “goons” facilitated by security agencies were trying to “take over” the Supreme Court and subverting the Constitution while on the other hand, the government was clamping down on PTI workers with at least 7,000 arrested and dozens of unarmed protestors killed.

The cricketer-turned-politician, who has a massive following in Pakistan, urged all citizens to be ready for peaceful protests, citing that it would be the end of Pakistan’s dream once the Constitution and Supreme Court were destroyed.

"So without any investigation into who was responsible for arson on a government building or dozens of deaths of unarmed protesters by bullet wounds, around 7000 PTI workers, leadership and our women have been jailed with plans to ban the largest and only federal party in Pak," Khan tweeted.

"Meanwhile, these goons are being facilitated by our security agencies to take over the SC and subvert the constitution. All citizens be ready for peaceful protests as once the constitution and Supreme Court are destroyed, it is the end of the Pak dream." he wrote.

"PDM workers reach outside the gate of the Supreme Court. Protestors have entered the Red Zone, but the situation is peaceful," Geo News quoted an Islamabad Police spokesperson as saying.

The PDM-led protest is a sign of escalating tensions between the judiciary and the government of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, who replaced Khan after his ouster in a no-confidence vote in Parliament in April 2022.

Khan was on Friday granted bail by the Supreme Court of Pakistan after the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrested the ousted prime minister on charges of accepting millions of dollars worth of property in exchange for providing benefits to a real estate tycoon.

Khan has said the JUI-F "drama" that is being done outside the Supreme Court is only for one purpose -- to overawe the Chief Justice of Pakistan so that he does not give a verdict according to the Constitution.

Khan's arrest by the Pakistan Rangers at the IHC premises last Tuesday triggered unrest in Pakistan that continued till Friday and led to several deaths and dozens of military and state installations being destroyed by the protesters.

For the first time in the country's history, the protesters stormed the army headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi and also torched the historic Corps Commander's House in Lahore.

Police put the death toll in violent clashes to 10 while Khan's party claims 40 of its workers lost their lives in the firing by security personnel.