- The Punjab government prohibits all kinds of political assemblies, gatherings.
- Article 144 imposed to protect human life, properties: Department of domicile
- The intelligence committee recommends the prohibition of political rallies.
The Punjab Home Department has imposed section 144 across the province, restricting all kinds of political assemblies, gatherings, sit-ins, rallies and other activity on saturday (tomorrow) on the Eve of Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf (PTI) Protest Against the Surprised adjustment during the general elections of February 8, 2024.
Article 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure is a legal provision which allows the district administrations to prohibit an assembly of four or more in an area for a limited period.
PRI, PTI based on Imran Khan, should observe the “dark day” to mark the first anniversary of the “rigged general elections” tomorrow.
“Article 144 was imposed to protect life and human properties and maintain the situation of public order (in the context of PTI demonstrations),” said a spokesperson for the department of origin.
The decision was made in the light of the committee of the Cabinet Committee on the law and the order and the provincial intelligence committee, added the spokesperson.
One day earlier, the District Administration of Lahore City rejected PTI’s request to organize a public rally in Minar-E-Pakistan on February 8.
The sub-commissioner refused authorization invoking security reasons.
The former ruling party, following its negotiations with the government collapsed from the rallies of protests against the 2024 polls nicknamed by the opposition parties as “strongly manipulated” elections.
The party ended up by Imran Khan put an end to negotiations after having either a judicial commission to probe the riots of May 9 and November 2024 in accordance with its request charter.
The process of dialogue between the government led by PML-N and the PTI began at the end of December after months of increased political tensions.
The party also announcing a rally in Swabi on February 8 (tomorrow), the president of PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Junaid Akbar, warned against the power coalition, saying that the desire of the party to maintain dialogue with the government has been misinterpreted as its weakening.
Reacting to the Protest of the PTI and Swabi Jalla, the Minister of Defense, Khawaja Asif, accused chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, the state government, state machines, resources and public wealth to organize A gathering. He feared that the provincial administration obliged civil servants to attend the rally and to fill the place.
“The PTI denounces the rigging in KP, where they are in power,” he said and dared the former part in power to organize protest demonstrations in Punjab, Sindh and Balutchistan, where the party founded Khan said that his mandate had been stolen.
Taking a excavation at CM Gandapur, the defense tsar said that PTI’s management used to disappear with regard to demonstrations in other provinces.