The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday heard a petition seeking to stop Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) planned September 27 long march, with Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Awan backing the plea and warning that Islamabad police lacked sufficient numbers to deal with what he called an 'inflammatory group'. The opposition party has announced nationwide protests and a long march towards Islamabad on September 27 to demand the release of jailed party founder Imran Khan.

A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Sarfaraz Dogar, comprising Justice Azam Khan and Justice Muhammad Asif, conducted the hearing. The IGs of Punjab, Sindh and Motorway police, along with Additional IG KP Abbas Ahsan, appeared before the court. During the hearing, Chief Justice Dogar cautioned that if red lines were crossed under the guise of fundamental rights, the court would have to take a decision.

AGP Awan, appearing for the Centre, told the court that intelligence indicated the Imran Khan-founded party was coming more prepared than in previous protests. He said while no one was denying citizens' right to peaceful protest, fundamental rights could not be used to trample upon the rights of other citizens. He cited the Faizabad sit-in as an example where the twin cities had been completely paralysed.

Awan said provincial governments must also demonstrate responsibility and could not use state machinery for political purposes. He said past episodes had shown the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), had used official machinery in Islamabad, adding that federal laws applied to all provinces. The development came after KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur recently led the party's mobilisation campaign across Sindh to build support for its demands, including the release of jailed founder Imran Khan.