LONDON: On Saturday, as Justice Athar Minallah of the Supreme Court (SC) was leaving the London School of Economics (LSE) campus after giving a speech at the “Future of Pakistan” conference organized by the Pakistani students, he was heckled by a few Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) activists.
Following a call in a Whatsapp group for the activists to attend the event and question the judge, about a dozen PTI activists showed up at the LSE.
The PTI activists who had pursued Judge Humayun Dilawar at the University of Hull for finding the party founder, Imran Khan, guilty are among those who heckled the judge.
Justice Minallah addressed students on Saturday night regarding the function of the constitution and the status of justice.
Inside the conference room, everything was quiet; nevertheless, problems arose when Justice Minallah departed the building.
The judge was approached by PTI campaigners who attempted to quiz him on Pakistani politics. The activists began yelling chants, demanding the release of former prime minister Khan, when the judge declined to respond. An activist nearly touched the judge and asked him why justice was not being served and why the judiciary was ranked lower.
The meeting organizers took Justice Minallah to the vehicle and hurried him inside so the judge could pull off the road directly in front of the London High Court. Students may be seen on camera urgently attempting to stop the vehicle for the judge. All along, the PTI activists adhered to the judge and raised slogans
The PTI demonstrators who had come to the location in advance were urged to remain peaceful by the organizers. While Nawaz Sharif was in London, some of them often staged protests outside the Avenfield apartments, and they are currently doing so outside the Pakistan High Commission.
Justice Minallah emphasized the value of civic supremacy and the defense of democracy during his speech at the LSE. He also noted that it is unacceptable for the highest court to be involved in efforts to undermine the Constitution and democracy.
He stated: “The absence of civil supremacy has created a persistent tension, and the Constitution has been subverted since the country has not been governed there under.”
“Prior to the 2018 general elections, the Supreme Court was perceived to have engaged in political engineering, which resulted in the formation of a weak civilian government that could not last more than three years,” he stated. During this time, there was a unique kind of constitutional problem; the then-prime minister officially acknowledged that elected officials and the army hierarchy collaborated on government, which was seen as hybrid in nature.
The judge went on to say that political figures only advocate for the restoration of civil supremacy when they are not in government; otherwise, they purposefully allow the Constitution to be broken with impunity by abandoning civilian supremacy while in office.
The event was denounced by the PTI’s UK chapter, which stated that individuals involved did not speak for the party.
“PTI UK vehemently denounces the treatment of Honorable Justice Athar Minallah.” According to Jahanzaib Khan, the UK chapter of the PTI, “Those who did it do not represent the PTI, nor does PTI UK endorse any such behavior.”
“It has come to our attention that certain journalists who are sympathetic to the N league in London frequently refer to some notorious individuals as PTI supporters,” he stated. Every time a Pakistani government figure travels to London, these journalists purposefully set up scenarios involving these people to stir up trouble.
“They do this to record footage and assign blame to the PTI, hence exacerbating their derogatory portrayal of the PTI. It is noteworthy that rallies carried out by Pakistanis living abroad and sincere supporters of the PTI are contingent upon the formal summons issued by PTI UK and its regional affiliates.
PTI’s official chapter had no right to speak for all PTI activists, according to one of the demonstrators. “We respectfully inquired about the state of law and order in Pakistan and the ways in which the judiciary has failed Pakistanis,” he stated. We have the right to speak up, and we want justice.
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