Islamabad admin says Section 144 already in place ahead of PTI protest

• No protests or gatherings permitted under section 144 in ICT.
• Police and agencies placed on high alert ahead of PTI’s protest.
• Islamabad admin warns of swift action against unlawful activities.
  

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad district administration said on Monday that Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code is already in force in the capital ahead of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) planned protest on December 2.

The PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter spokesperson, Adeel Iqbal, last week announced a plan for a protest outside the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for December 2 (Tuesday) over the persistent denial of a meeting with jailed PTI founder Imran Khan.

In a statement, the district administration said that no protest, rally or public gathering is permitted in the capital under Section 144, warning that action would be taken immediately against any unlawful activity.

“Police and other law enforcement agencies have been put on high alert,” read the statement.

In order to avoid any untoward incident, it further said that all agencies, including the police, would ensure law and order with mutual cooperation.

“Legal action will be taken against the violation of Section 144,” it added.

The district administration has also issued a public advisory urging citizens to avoid taking part in activities declared unlawful under Section 144. 

It said that the restriction is meant to prevent situations that may disrupt routine life or create challenges for public order.

The advisory emphasised that any violation will result in legal action without delay.

Authorities have called on residents to cooperate with the enforcement teams and to report any activity they believe may violate the ban. Officials noted that maintaining peace and order is a collective responsibility, and support from the community is essential to ensure compliance.

Meanwhile, Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner Hasan Waqar Cheema issued a notification, imposing Section 144 in the city.

“Section 144 will remain in effect from December 1 to 3,” read the notification. 

A day before the PTI’s planned protest, the sons of jailed former prime minister fear authorities are concealing "something irreversible" about his condition after more than three weeks with no evidence that he is still alive.

As court-ordered prison visits stay blocked and rumours swirl about possible prison transfers, his son, Kasim Khan, told Reuters the family has had no direct or verifiable contact with Khan, despite a judicial order for weekly meetings.

It is pertinent to mention here that the PTI's plan for a protest outside the IHC came just two days after KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, for the eighth time since his election as the KP chief minister, was not allowed a meeting with the PTI founder in Rawalpindi's Adiala jail.

CM Afridi had staged a 16-hour-long sit-in on the Adiala Road on November 27 after he was denied a meeting with the PTI founder, who has been incarcerated since August 2023, since his ouster from power via the opposition's no-trust motion in April 2022.

— With additional input from APP