{
  "id": 6736216,
  "title": "KP advocate general questions maintainability of plea against PTI's Sept 27 protest",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/kp-advocate-general-questions-maintainability-of-plea-against-ptis-6736216",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-11T09:00:44.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn - Pakistan",
    "slug": "dawn-pakistan",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2029087/kp-advocate-general-questions-maintainability-of-plea-against-ptis-sept-27-protest"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Advocate General Shah Faisal Utmankhel expressed doubt on Thursday about the feasibility of a legal challenge against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) planned protest in Islamabad on September 27. The PTI has organized a nationwide demonstration to advocate for the release of party founder Imran Khan and to promote the Constitution's supremacy. Waqas Ahmed, a citizen, filed a petition challenging the protest's impact on the normal life, traffic, and business operations in the capital. A larger bench of the Islamabad High Court, led by Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar, is currently hearing the case. Joining the bench are Justices Muhammad Azam Khan and Muhammad Asif. During the hearing, Utmankhel argued that the petitioner could have pursued a legal remedy through the Islamabad chief commissioner, and that the high court's extraordinary jurisdiction, as per Article 199 of the Constitution, was not applicable in this case. The advocate general also pointed out that the petitioner had not included the PTI as a respondent, questioning why the party was not named in the proceedings if they were related to its planned demonstration. Chief Justice Dogar inquired if the PTI was indeed planning the long march, and Utmankhel indicated that the office of the advocate general was only concerned with the chief minister's official duties, not his political statements. The chief justice did not directly quote any specific remarks made by KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi. Utmankhel emphasized that political statements by the chief minister were beyond the advocate general's office's jurisdiction, suggesting that the PTI and the chief minister should be named as parties in the petition. The KP chief secretary then addressed the provincial government's stance on the planned protest, reiterating that political statements were dealt with at the party level. When asked whether any instructions had been given by the chief minister to government officials regarding the long march, the chief secretary assured the court that KP officials would not act beyond their constitutional limits. Chief Justice Dogar recalled that the court had been informed the planned march aimed to bolster the judiciary and noted that the PTI had previously not followed court directives for its protest marches. He questioned whether the chief minister could support or announce a long march and sit-in before obtaining formal approval for the protest. Utmankhel clarified that such gatherings were organized by political parties and citizens, and cited Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz's statement, suggesting that Punjab faced greater security threats from neighboring provinces than from neighboring countries. Finally, the chief justice asked Utmankhel about the source of statements reported by the media during the previous hearing, to which Utmankhel replied that he had watched television programmes throughout the night after the court mentioned the media reports. He maintained that the PTI's planned sit-in was meant to promote the rule of law, the Constitution's supremacy, and the strengthening of the judiciary, arguing that Islamabad belongs to all the provinces and should not be deemed solely for its residents. He questioned whether participants in the peaceful long march would be expelled from the capital. Utmankhel further explained that he was merely providing legal assistance before the court, not representing a political party.",
  "summary": "ISLAMABAD: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Advocate General Shah Faisal Utmankhel on Thursday questioned the maintainability of a petition filed in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the PTI’s planned protest in the federal capital on Sept 27. The PTI has announced a nationwide protest on Sept 27 to demand the release of party founder Imran Khan and mobilise people for the supremacy of the Constitution. A…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Dawn",
        "title": "KP advocate general questions maintainability of plea against PTI's Sept 27 protest",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/kp-advocate-general-questions-maintainability-of-plea-against-ptis",
        "published": "2026-09-11T08:36:12.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}