PTI march: Section 144 imposed across Punjab amid security concerns

LAHORE: The Punjab government has imposed Section 144 across the province from September 23 to October 5, banning public gatherings of five or more people, rallies and assemblies at public places, highways and open spaces.

The provincial Home Department said the restrictions were imposed in view of serious threats to public peace and the safety of lives and property. The order also prohibits carrying or displaying weapons at public places and bars people from encouraging or facilitating participation in illegal gatherings.

According to the notification, the restrictions will not apply to wedding ceremonies, funeral prayers, burials, mosques and other places of worship. Courts, government institutions and events held with official permission will also remain exempt.

Law enforcement personnel, intelligence agencies and security officials performing official duties will also be exempt from the restrictions.

Earlier Punjab government sought the deployment of Rangers in four districts to assist law enforcement agencies in maintaining law and order ahead of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) long march planned for September 27.

The provincial Home Department has written to the federal Ministry of Interior seeking Rangers personnel for deployment in Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum and Mianwali until October 5, according to the department’s spokesperson.

The request was approved at the 59th meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Law and Order and was made following a request from the Punjab Police for additional security assistance.

Security agencies report potential threats

The Home Department said law enforcement and intelligence agencies had reported immediate security threats and warned that militant organisations could target public gatherings.

It said rallies, political gatherings, sit-ins, processions and demonstrations could provide potential targets for terrorist attacks.

Law enforcement agencies had requested immediate preventive measures to address the potential threats, according to the notification.

The provincial Home Secretary imposed the restrictions under Section 144(6) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898.

The Home Department said the measure was intended to maintain public order and protect citizens, adding that the safety of lives and property remained the Punjab government’s top priority.

Three Rangers companies sought for Rawalpindi

According to the Home Department, the provincial government has requested the deployment of three Rangers companies in Rawalpindi, while five Rangers wings have been recommended for deployment in Attock. One Rangers company each has been sought for Jhelum and Mianwali.

The department said the deployment was being requested to assist police in maintaining law and order and ensuring the safety of citizens and their property.

GT Road to be shut from today

Several sections of motorways and the GT Road will be closed to traffic from Wednesday evening ahead of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protest and planned march on Islamabad, the National Highways and Motorway Police (NHMP) said on Tuesday.

The M-1 will remain closed between Islamabad Toll Plaza and Chach Interchange, with closures also affecting Islamabad Toll Plaza, Fateh Jang, Tarnol, Sangjani, Brahma Bahtar, Burhan, Hazara Motorway, Ghazi and Chach interchanges.

The M-14 will be closed in both directions between Hakla and Kundal, affecting several interchanges along the route.

The GT Road (N-5) will also be closed at Attock Khurd.

Meanwhile, heavy and cargo vehicles travelling from Lahore to Islamabad on the M-2 will be barred from entering the capital from Wednesday.

Army deployment also sought

Sources said the Punjab government had also requested the deployment of the army in Rawalpindi, while seeking Rangers personnel for Attock, Jhelum and Mianwali.

The sources said the federal government had been asked to provide the services of the Rangers and army until October 5. The requests come ahead of PTI’s planned September 27 long march, amid heightened security preparations across Punjab.

The Punjab Home Department spokesperson said protecting the lives and property of citizens remained the provincial government’s top priority.

Sohail Afridi vows PTI will proceed with Sept 27 Islamabad march

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan reaffirmed on Tuesday that the party will proceed with its planned September 27 march on Islamabad despite warnings from the federal government.

Addressing a joint press conference in Peshawar, Afridi said the PTI had exhausted constitutional, parliamentary and legal avenues and would now exercise what he called its constitutional right to peaceful protest. He said the party had not staged a major protest or long march for nearly two years and claimed its grievances had not been addressed through democratic channels.

Afridi also criticised the government over restrictions on meetings with PTI founder Imran Khan, saying court orders concerning access to him had not been implemented. He cited the detention of Khan’s sisters Aleema Khan, Noreen Niazi and Uzma Khanum, alleging that the arrests were aimed at weakening the party’s mobilisation ahead of the march.

The KP chief minister challenged the federal government to identify any constitutional provision barring political parties or citizens from holding peaceful protests.

Gohar, meanwhile, stressed that the PTI’s planned march would remain peaceful. He rejected suggestions that the party intended to attack or damage Islamabad, saying supporters would enter the capital carrying Pakistani flags and chanting slogans.

“We are not going to make Islamabad Somnath. We are not going to destroy Islamabad or attack Islamabad,” Gohar said, referring to controversial remarks by PTI KP President Junaid Akbar.

Gohar said the party had repeatedly sought negotiations with the government but had not received a satisfactory response. He said the PTI had decided to march after failing to secure what it described as justice through other political and legal channels.

He also alleged that around 1,500 PTI workers had been arrested ahead of the protest, along with several lawmakers and party leaders. According to Gohar, five National Assembly members, a senator, provincial assembly members and provincial ministers were among those detained.

The government, however, has warned that while peaceful political activity is allowed within the law, violence, attacks or disruption of public order in Islamabad will not be tolerated. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has said the government will use legal measures to prevent disruption and implement court orders regarding protests.