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- June 21, 2024
- Kainat Shakeel
- 0
In response to “the current law and order situation,” the Punjab administration on Friday enforced Section 144 throughout the province, outlawing public meetings and protests. Punjab has imposed Section 144 in response to PTI’s plans to stage statewide demonstrations today in support of imprisoned leader Imran Khan’s release. Dawn.com has obtained a copy of an order from the Home Department that states that Section 144 will be enforced immediately and for seven days. According to the Punjab Police, Section 144 gives authorities the authority to impose orders in the public interest that could prohibit certain activities for a predetermined amount of time.
According to the order, “any gathering/ assembly is likely to provide soft targets to terrorists and miscreants, which not only pose serious security threats but is also likely to cause threat to public at peace and order as well as inconvenience to public at large.” This is because of the current state of law and order and security threats. Issuing secretary Noor Ul Amin Mengal stated in the decision that there were “pressing and adequate grounds exist for proceeding under Section 144 […] as an immediate prevention and speedy remedy to ban forthwith certain activities in Punjab,” even though there was no mention of a particular reason for the ban. Protests, demonstrations, marches, sit-ins, processions, assemblies, jalsas, dharnas, and other similar events are forbidden immediately.
Punjab has implemented Section 144 in response to the PTI’s announcement of nationwide demonstrations calling for the release of its leader, Imran Khan, who is currently detained.
PTI leaders in Khanewal were the targets of “multiple illegal police raids,” according to a post on the social networking platform X. The party also asserted that police stormed and looted PTI leader PP-209 Khanewal Humayun Khan’s office. In his speech in the National Assembly today, Leader of the Opposition Omar Ayub criticized the implementation of Section 144 and requested that NA Deputy Speaker Ghulam Mustafa Shah declare that the prohibition violates the constitution. In response, the deputy speaker stated that it was a “provincial matter” and expressed optimism that it would be resolved.
The prohibition was denounced by PTI spokesperson Raoof Hasan as “a shameful act on the part of the entire form 47 criminal government.” He asserted in a post on X that the imposition of Section 144 proved how “mortified” Imran’s government was, and that it would only strengthen the resolve of the party founder’s supporters. “Imran Khan is going to win. People are going to win. Pakistan is going to win. Nothing can halt their determination to fulfill their ambition,” Hasan continued.