The Pakistani authorities have announced a ban on public gatherings in the national capital for the next two months, as Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is looking to once again stage mass protests in support of their jailed leader. They have been demanding Imran Khan’s release, who has been incarcerated for the past year.
The federal government has retaliated by imposing Section 144 in Islamabad, a law that prohibits public assemblies. According to different notifications issued by the office of Islamabad District Magistrate Usman Ashraf on Monday, Section 144 has been implemented due to “certain segments of society” planning “unlawful assemblies which can disrupt public peace and tranquility.”
Public gatherings of five or more people were banned, as they might “threaten public peace and tranquility, cause public annoyance or injury, endanger human life and safety, pose a threat to public property, and lead to a riot or an affray including sectarian riot within the revenue/territorial limits of district Islamabad.”
The notifications banned sound systems from playing “all kinds of objectionable/sectarian related speeches and sermons” and have also been prohibited under the order. Similarly, the use of loudspeakers to antagonise “political/social groups/religious sects.” The district magistrate also banned firecrackers, the display of firearms as well as the distribution of hand-bills, pamphlets, and the affixing of posters. The ban would be in place for two months, “unless revoked or extended,” the order said.
Earlier Khan’s sister Aleema Khan, after meeting him in the Adiala Jail at Rawalpindi on November 13, told the journalists that everyone from the PTI, including workers, members of parliament, and party supporters should join the protest on November 24. Khan, 72, has been embroiled in several cases since last year, including the ‘Toshakhana’ case. Khan continues to be in jail on account of his cases.
Imran Khan’s statement
Meanwhile, Imran Khan has posted a detailed statement on his official X (Twitter) account, declaring that democracy in Pakistan is finished, calling on the entire nation to join in to protest. It read, “I have previously only called on people associated with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to protest, but since the final nail has now been hammered into the coffin of democracy in our country after February 8th (2024), it is the entire nation’s duty to come out to protest against this oppression. Come out on November 24th with the same passion that you demonstrated on February 8th, when you came out, despite all the challenges, to prove the power of your vote.”
Khan also mentioned the constant censorship and banning of the internet as well as censoring PTI and Imran Khan, taking him off national media, “The foundational pillars of democracy – rule of law, fair and transparent elections, and freedom of expression – are suspended in our country. The media is under severe censorship. There is a complete ban on broadcasting my statements and the media is having to operate under severe restrictions. According to newspaper reports, internet performance in Pakistan has been limited to only 27%. All these heinous steps are only being taken to somehow crush PTI and suppress our voice.”
O Bird, that flies to throne of God, you must keep this truth in sight;
to suffer death is nobler far, than bread that clogs your upward flight.Death is better than a life of slavery.
I have previously only called on people associated with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to…
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) November 19, 2024
He also went on to speak on the raging issue of forced disappearances that have been plaguing the country, noting that even powerful people are not exempt from this. Khan also reiterated his stand on foreign interference in Pakistani affairs which occurred under General Bajwa, “From Shahbaz Gill to Intazar Panjutha, there is a whole series of enforced disappearances, brutality, and violence against PTI workers, for which no one has been able to obtain justice. PTI stood against the external interference which took place through (the US Assistant Secretary of State) Donald Lu and (the then Chief of Army Staff) General Bajwa. After which, bogus assemblies were created following fraudulent elections, which attacked the independence of the judiciary.”
“The sort of repression that PTI faced in the post-regime change era did not exist even under Stalin’s dictatorship. Everyone must join the protest on November 24th. we must be ready to choose death over slavery, and the call for protest on November 24th is not only for PTI but for the entire nation. Overseas Pakistanis should also record protests in their respective countries and contribute whole-heartedly to fund-raising for PTI.” Khan’s statement further read.
Khan’s incarceration
In another development, over 40 American lawmakers have called upon US President Joe Biden to advocate for the immediate release of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, along with all other political prisoners in the country, and ensure their safety in line with the findings of the UN Working Group report.
It remains to be seen what will be the impact of these mass protests, as the Pakistani state has remained resolute so far to keep Khan incarcerated. The PTI will now take to the streets to once again push for the release of their leader. Pakistan’s politics will also be affected by the upcoming Donald Trump Presidency, as the country looks to be heading towards more internal turmoil.