PESHAWAR: Justice Ijaz Anwar of the Peshawar High Court on Monday reprimanded a petitioner-lawyer for running a social media campaign for a writ petition filed against the closure of CNG stations across the province, observing that legal matters are to be decided in courts, not through public mobilization.
During the hearing, the court noted that the case had not yet been fixed for regular hearing and was instead scheduled to address objections raised by the registrar’s office regarding its maintainability. However, the petitioner, Muhammad Yaseen, had already appealed to the public via social media to gather at the high court.
“This is a court of law, not a political gathering where you invite people through social media,” Justice Anwar remarked, terming the conduct unacceptable. The court subsequently dismissed the writ petition.
At the outset of proceedings, the petitioner’s counsel and dozens of citizens were present in the courtroom. The petitioner argued that CNG stations in Peshawar and other districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were frequently shut down without prior notice, causing significant inconvenience to the public.
According to the petition, a majority of vehicles in the province run on CNG, and during periods of energy shortages, CNG stations are the first to be closed without advance warning, which the petitioner termed an illegal practice. The petitioner requested the court to declare such closures unconstitutional and unlawful, and to restrain authorities from shutting down CNG stations without prior notice.
He argued that the closures severely disrupt public transport, school vans, and ambulance services, while also rendering many low-income workers jobless and affecting their livelihoods.
