Pakistan implements lockdown in Islamabad amid anti-government rally
Pakistan authorities quarantined Islamabad on Friday, in addition to suspending mobile telecommunication services, to suppress an anti-government protest led by supporters of arrested ex-PM Imran Khan.
The Islamabad police has explained that section 144 of the code of criminal procedure is currently in force in Islamabad. The section provides the power to the authorities to prevent the occurrence of some activities that are potential threats to the authorities in the best interest and maintenance or order and security. From the statement the authorities urged people not to participate in any form of unlawful acts and also adhere to traffic directions and avoid certain roads. Violation of this ban is punishable by fines and imprisonment under section 188 of the constitution of Pakistan.
It was a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party led by Imran Khan to show against Khan’s arrest and to express the opposition to some postulates of pending changes to the constitution. From X twitter account, Imran Khan urged people to protest in Islamabad and Lahore on Friday 4th, October insisting that people needed to fight oppressive forces.
According to local media sources, the enforcement of the measures have led to shut down of educational facilities, increased security in Islamabad, permission to use army in the capital, restrictions of mobile phone connection, and ban on riders to carry more than one person. Also, more than 400 people have been detained in relation to the threatened demonstration.
As quoted by PTI, Imran Khan’s sister, Aleema Khan, was arrested by the police at D Chowk for her effort to join the peaceful protest.
Amnesty International condemned the road blockades and a total communication blackout before the protests as it was a violation of the people’s rights to express themselves, to access information, to assembly and to movement. The focus was made on the Pakistani commitments under the ICCPR and the call to fulfill the human rights standards before the Human Rights Committee turns to the country for the review.
In September, Pakistan passed a new Legislation on Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act 2024 that banned protests under the pretext of disrupting daily activities without permission. Under the new law anyone found participating in an unlawful assembly is liable to be imprisoned for six months to three years. Amnesty International also harshly reacted to the law pointing at it as “another blow to freedom of peaceful assembly in Pakistan.”
