Pak SC orders PTI, PAT leaders to clear Constitution Avenue by Thursday

The Supreme Court of Pakistan has ordered Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) protesters to vacate the Constitution Avenue which includes a road to the apex court and the Parliament by Thursday, a report said.

A five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk was hearing a set of petitions filed by bar associations across the nation against the protest sit-ins organized by the PTI and PAT leaders on Islamabad's Constitution Avenue, reported the Dawn.

The petitioners claimed that the protests were breaching the rights of the common citizen, as spelt out in the Articles 15 and 16 of the Pakistani Constitution, which ensures freedom of movement and right of assembly.

The bench also directed the two parties to review the situation and submit a final report to the court.

The PTI and PAT leaders have been occupying the capital's red zone for over a week now in order to protest against alleged electoral fraud in the 2013 General Elections. The sit-in has made the road inaccessible for government employees.