LAHORE: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Khwaja Imtiaz Ahmad on Friday constituted a larger bench to hear petitions against "Azadi March" announced by PTI chairman Imran Khan.

Headed by Justice Khalid Mahmood Khan, the larger bench will start hearing of the petitions on Monday. Justice Shahid Hameed Dar and Justice Muhammad Anwarul Haq are the other two members of the bench.

Justice Khan had requested the chief justice to constitute a larger bench to hear the matter.

The petitioners pleaded that the march announced by the PTI against alleged rigging in the general election would promote anarchy in the country. They said the protest march of the PTI would also damage the democratic system in the country and invite anti-democratic forces to prevail.

They requested the court to issue an order to the government to meet the demands of opposition parties with a dialogue and stop "Azadi March" of the PTI.

Published in Dawn, Aug 9th, 2014