The Pakistan Democratic Movement’s Islamabad sit-in call on Monday during the hearing of elections to the Punjab Assembly has “stirred concerns” in the top court especially when police officials failed to show up for a security meeting .

The deputy commissioner of Islamabad did turn up on the call of the court registrar on Saturday. The registrar had also summoned DIG Islamabad, and other officers to review the security measures on the possibility of a sit-in in the federal capital. But they did not show up.

However, the government later closed the roads leading to the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

JUI-F, PMLN and other PMD parties were preparing for marching on Islamabad on Saturday. Groups of political workers will be leaving for the federal capital from Lahore, Peshawar and other cities on Sunday.

Pakistan Democratic Movement chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman announced that he would lead a sit-in in front of the Supreme Court against the ‘special treatment’ given to PTI chief Imran Khan.

“A sit-in will begin in front of the Supreme Court from Monday,” Fazl told reporters after a meeting of PDM parties on Friday in Islamabad.

The planned sit-in coincides with the date of the hearing of the Punjab elections case. The top court ruled on April 4 that elections to the provincial assembly must be held on May 14. But the government has neither provided funds nor security to the Election Commission of Pakistan to conduct polls, prompting speculation that the elections would not be held on the announced date.

The development has led to a standoff between the judiciary and Parliament.

Some legal experts and politicians were of the view that the apex court can disqualify the prime minister over his apparent failure to hold elections. From this perspective, Monday’s sit-in was termed “crucial”.

PDM parpares for the sit-in

Meanwhile, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam has started preparations for the Monday sit-in. The religiopolitical party has announced that the protest would continue till the resignation of the CJP, but other parties have not confirmed the decision about a prolonged sit-in.

A cavalcade of JUI from Karachi and Quetta will leave for Islamabad tomorrow (Sunday) while groups from Peshawar and Punjab will leave on Monday.

Maulana Attaur Rehman would lead the cavalcade from Peshawar, Akram Khan from southern districts of KP, Rashid Mehmood Soomro from Sindh, Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri and Maulana Abdul Wasay from Balochistan, said the party. Dr Ateeq Rehman would lead the procession from Punjab.

The party has claimed that more than 100,000 workers would participate in the sit-in.