Court expresses dismay on Ansarul Islam's unilateral ban

ISLAMABAD: The high court during today’s hearing with regards to Interior ministry’s ban on JUIF’s faction, Ansarul Islam expressed dismay over the unilateral move by the government, ARY News reported on Monday.

The court summoned a representative of the Ministry of Interior to tomorrow’s proceedings demanding and explanation.

The court maintained that a ban could not have been imposed without listening to the party in question.

Jamiat e Ulema Islam’s lawyer argued that the organization did not exist independently and was a part of the government registered political party.

Chief Justice, Athar Minallah who was presiding over the case remarked that if that indeed true then the notification would be deemed null and void because the notification has shown the organization to be somewhat disconnected from the political party and more in the realms of a private militia.

In a step to avoid any untoward incident and maintain law and order in the federal capital during the possible sit-in of the opposition parties, the government on October 24 placed a ban on the entry of Ansarul Islam’s activists in Islamabad.

According to a notification issued by the interior ministry, the federal government, under Article-256 barred the activists of Ansarul Islam, the security wing of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), from entering Islamabad.

The federal government believed that the group has turned into a militant organization and could involve in violence and riots during the possible protest of the opposition parties in the capital, read the notification.

The court has been adjourned till tomorrow, 10:30 a.m.