Islamabad High Court (IHC) ordered the de-seal of the central secretariat of the opposition party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday.
According to the 24News HD TV channel, IHC Justice Suman Rifat Imtiaz accepted the PTI's plea against the Captial Development Authority (CDA) and issued a written decision to de-seal the building.
On May 24, CDA demolished some constructions in the premises of the PTI Secretariat in Islamabad during its midnight operation against encroachments. PTI workers resisted when the office was sealed by the authorities.
The Islamabad deputy commissioner confirmed the sealing of the PTI office established on the plot allotted to Sartaj Ali. He confirmed that the authority served notices on November 19, 2020, February 22, 2021, June 14, 2022, and September 4, 2023 but to no avail.
Over the issue of sealing the PTI office, a heated exchange took place in the Senate between Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and PTI Senator Shibli Faraz.
Tarar firmly stated that legal action against PTI's illegal Secretariat will continue if deemed necessary. He clarified to the Upper House that the PTI Secretariat in Islamabad was demolished according to the law as two floors of it were illegally constructed without proper permission from the CDA.
Tarar added that the action was solely a decision by the CDA which had been issuing notices for four years with the first notice given in 2020 during the PTI's own government. And, the final notice was issued on May 10, he said adding that now the CDA removed illegal structures such as parking and sheds in public areas.
PTI's Senator Shibli Faraz addressing the House accused the government of resorting to cheap tactics and targeting his party. The PTI senator condemned the demolition of the party's Secretariat and the arrest of PTI leader Amir Mughal.