A legal provision known as Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure grants district administrations the authority to temporarily prohibit a group of four or more people from gathering in a particular area. Most of the time, it is imposed to keep order, prevent potential disturbances, and stop any activities that could lead to violence.
In order to ensure the safety of approximately 900 delegates who will be arriving in Islamabad for the summit, the government has set up more than 10,000 police and paramilitary personnel. Additionally, the capital will observe a three-day holiday to safeguard delegates.
As foreign dignitaries will arrive in the twin cities next week for the summit, it was requested to impose section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) 1898 on certain acts to maintain the city’s law and order, according to a notification from the Punjab Home Department dated October 10 (a copy of which is available at Dawn.com).
From October 10 to October 17, “all kinds of political assemblies, gatherings, sit-ins, rallies, demonstrations, jalsas, protests and such like other activities” were prohibited, according to the notification.
Pillion riding on bikes, airborne terminating, pigeon flying, and the utilization of robots or laser lights have additionally been restricted.
In addition, the Islamabad High Court made Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of the following week a “closed holiday” for the IHC, civil, and session courts.
Following the PTI’s announcement of protests, the provincial government has also banned all political assemblies in nine additional districts from October 10 to 12.
On Friday, the PTI announced a schedule of protests that would begin in Multan and Sahiwal. Protests are scheduled for October 12 in Gujranwala and Sargodha, October 13 in Dera Ghazi Khan, and October 14 in Lahore and Faisalabad.
