A lawyer walks past in front of the Peshawar High Court building. PHOTO: AFP
PESHAWAR:
A writ petition has been filed in the Peshawar High Court (PHC) challenging the ongoing blockade of the Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway and Grand Trunk (GT) Road by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers, describing the action as unconstitutional and a violation of citizens’ fundamental rights.
Advocate Tariq Afghan, through Barrister Huzaifa Ahmed, submitted the petition naming the provincial government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Inspector General of Police, PTI provincial president Junaid Akbar Khan, and the National Highways Authority as respondents.
The petitioner, a practicing lawyer, stated that he frequently travels to various courts across the province to pursue legal cases. He argued that hundreds of PTI activists have blocked key highways for several days, severing inter-provincial connectivity and causing severe disruptions to public movement.
According to the petition, protesters have established sit-ins at Swabi’s Ambar Interchange on the Motorway and near Attock Bridge on the GT Road, completely halting traffic in both directions. This has led to acute difficulties for ordinary citizens, including restricted travel, delays in essential supplies such as flour from Punjab and other provinces, and interruptions in inter-provincial trade.
The petition invokes Article 15 of the Constitution, which guarantees every citizen the right to free movement throughout Pakistan. While acknowledging that peaceful protest is a constitutional right, the petitioner emphasized that no demonstration may infringe on the rights of others or involve coercion. Forcibly preventing citizens from traveling against their will constitutes a serious offense, the filing contends.
It further alleges that local administration, National Highways officials, and other authorities have remained passive spectators, failing to intervene despite the widespread public suffering. The petition highlights a tragic incident where a patient reportedly died in an ambulance due to delays caused by the blockade the previous day, underscoring the human cost of the protests.
Criticizing the irony of the situation, the petitioner noted that the people of K-P have repeatedly elected PTI to power with a majority, yet they are now bearing the brunt of the party’s agitation tactics while the government and administration appear unwilling to act.
The court has been urged to declare the road closures illegal, direct immediate action against those responsible, and issue orders to all parties to reopen the Motorway and GT Road without delay. This would restore inter-provincial links, ease public hardship, and uphold constitutional protections.
