ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: The Punjab Home Department has enforced Section 144 across the province and in Islamabad, prohibiting public gatherings and rallies for a period of three days.
According to the issued notification, Section 144 will be in effect from Friday, July 26, to Sunday, July 28, 2024. The measure is meant to keep things safe and prevent possible terrorist threats.
The notification said that the administration will ensure the order’s implementation across Punjab and Islamabad. The imposition of Section 144 prohibits gatherings of five or more people, and any violation of the order may result in legal action.
This move comes ahead of a country-wide protest planned by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led opposition alliance for Friday, July 26. The protests demand the release of ‘innocent’ prisoners, including former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, after a meeting of the Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Ayen (TTAP)—a group opposing the government led by PTI—said they will hold ‘peaceful’ protests across the country on Friday.
Qaiser said, “We are protesting for three main reasons: to stop rising prices, to bring peace, and to free the PTI founder and all other political prisoners who are held in ‘fake’ cases.” “The current federal government has a fake mandate” he added.
