Pak's ruling coalition protests outside SC against preferential treatment to Imran

Islamabad, May 15 (IANS) Workers of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) on Monday set up a stage in front of the Supreme Court Judges Gate as the ruling alliance announced to stage a sit-in right outside the top court building today to protest against what it describes as the judiciarys preferential treatment of former premier Imran Khan.

Meanwhile, the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Police requested the protesters to remain peaceful, saying that there is a threat of terrorist activity, The Express Tribune reported.

Earlier, PDM workers who came out in the form of caravans carried the flags of their parties, while at some places, in the form of protest rallies, the workers raised slogans against the Chief Justice and in favour of the Pakistan Army.

According to reports, the first convoy of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam- Fazl (JUI-F) Rawalpindi reached Committee Chowk in the morning.

A day earlier, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, who is also the head of the ruling coalition PDM, appealed to the entire nation to participate in a peaceful protest outside the apex court on Monday.

The PML-N and Pakistan People's Party (PPP) have announced full participation in the protest, however, Awami National Party (ANP) will not participate in the sit-in.

The ruling coalition and a section of the superior judiciary led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial have been at odds since February this year when the top court started suo motu proceedings on delay in the announcement of dates for elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) provinces, The Express Tribune reported.

However, this acrimony intensified when a three-judge bench led by CJP Bandial on May 11 declared the arrest of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman from inside the Islamabad High Court illegal.