ISLAMABADA: Islamabad’s district administration has imposed a ban on public gatherings under Section 144 ahead of a planned nationwide protest by former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party on Tuesday, warning that all those found involved in “illegal activities” would be arrested immediately.
Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) empowers district administrations to issue orders in public interest that may place a ban on a gathering of four or more persons for a specific period of time. The section has been used frequently in the past by Pakistani authorities to crack down on anti-government protests.
The development took place as Khan’s PTI party plans to stage a countrywide protest today, August 5, coinciding with the second anniversary of the former prime minister’s incarceration. Khan, who was ousted in a no-confidence vote in 2022, remains in prison facing multiple charges he claims are politically motivated. His party leaders say they are protesting to demand his release from prison and their basic rights being denied by the government.
“Section 144 is in effect in the federal capital,” the Islamabad deputy commissioner was quoted as saying in a statement released by his office on Monday. “Under Section 144, all forms of gatherings or assemblies are prohibited.”
