Islamabad Highcourt on Monday granted Imran Khan permission to hold anti-government protests in the capital this week, but warned that demonstrations should not disrupt life for citizens.
Khan had threatened to “shut down” the capital Islamabad on Wednesday as part of his push to unseat Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on grounds of alleged corruption linked to the “Panama Papers” leak.
But on Sunday, he backtracked, saying his rallying cry to stop the government from functioning was not a direct threat, but rather a prediction of what would happen if his supporters flooded into the city.
The Islamabad High Court on Monday dismissed government challenges to Wednesday’s protests, but ordered that Khan hold the demonstration on a parade ground far from the city’s main government and commercial districts.
Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui also ordered the government to ensure protection for the fundamental rights of residents of the capital to go about their daily lives.
