ISLAMABAD: A large police deployment was seen outside the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday after Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers gathered to protest the court’s delay in fixing hearings for cases involving party founder and former prime minister Imran Khan.
Barricades were placed at the court’s main entrance as the police took control of the area to prevent any untoward incident. The protest remained largely peaceful, with PTI supporters demanding early hearings for Imran’s pending cases.
The KP chief minister later went to the office of the secretary to the IHC chief justice to raise the issue. However, tensions flared when PTI Senator Falak Naz was stopped by police officials from entering the office.
Eyewitnesses said Sub-Inspector (SI) Nasir shouted at the senator, telling her she was not allowed to proceed. “You cannot go inside,” the officer reportedly said in a raised voice.
An agitated Falak Naz responded, “How can you stop me? I am a senator.” The officer replied, “And I am an officer on duty.”
The senator later warned the official that she would summon him before a parliamentary committee if he did not “mend his conduct.”
