Authorities imposed Section 144 in the federal capital Islamabad days before Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) anti-government protest, which is scheduled to take place across the country on November 24.
According to the information available on the Punjab Police's website, "Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) empowers district administration to issue orders in public interest that may place a ban on an activity for a specific period of time. Such a ban is enforced by the police who register cases under section 188 of the Pakistan Penal Code for violations of the ban."
According to a notification issued on Monday, "Some political parties want to record their protest in Islamabad and this move could affect the law and order situation in the federal capital."
The notification says, "Section 144 has been imposed to maintain the law and order in the federal capital. Section 144 has been imposed in Islamabad, especially Red Zone, for two months and there will a complete ban on protest demonstrations and rallies in the federal capital during this period. Imposition of Section 144 will be effective immediately."
PTI founder Imran Khan last week gave the “final call” for a protest in Islamabad on November 24. He denounced what he described as the “stolen mandate”, the “unjust arrests” of people, and the government’s push to pass the 26th constitutional amendment bill last month.
Since his arrest in August 2023 on several counts, Khan's party has been holding protests across the country for his release, and against the alleged “rigging” of the 2024 elections on February 8.
Since the events of May 9, 2023, PTI leaders have faced arrests and detentions from time to time, mostly for leading protests in the country. A day ago, some top PTI leaders were taken into custody from outside Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail for violating Section 144 but were released shortly afterwards after being issued a warning.