The Islamabad administration has imposed Section 144 in the capital territory for two months, citing concerns over public order and security risks. This decision comes just days before Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) planned nationwide protest on November 24, led by former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Section 144, a legal provision that restricts public gatherings, prohibits assemblies of five or more people in the area. Notifications issued by Islamabad District Magistrate Usman Ashraf stated the measure aims to prevent “unlawful assemblies” that could disrupt peace, endanger public safety, or lead to riots.
The order also bans the use of loudspeakers for objectionable speeches, display of firearms, firecrackers, and the distribution of pamphlets or affixing of posters.
Last week, senior PTI leaders were detained outside Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi for violating Section 144 but were released after being warned by authorities. The imposition of these restrictions adds tension ahead of the PTI’s much-anticipated rally.
Imran Khan has described the November 24 protests as a defining moment for PTI, urging supporters to denounce what he called a “stolen mandate,” the arbitrary arrests of party members, and the passage of the 26th constitutional amendment, which he claimed strengthens a “dictatorial regime.” He called the protests a test of PTI’s strength and urged legal professionals, civil society, and overseas Pakistanis to join the demonstrations.
PTI leader Taimur Saleem Khan Jhagra criticised the government’s decision, calling it “malafide and illegal.” He argued that imposing Section 144 whenever Imran Khan called for a protest undermines the democratic right to peaceful assembly. The restrictions have heightened the political stakes as the PTI prepares for its demonstration against what it terms injustices and the erosion of democratic norms in Pakistan.