ISLAMABAD: Amid heated arguments, the Senate Standing Committee on Interior on Tuesday approved the bill that would help formulate the first law in the country on holding peaceful protests and gatherings.

While the committee approved the “Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Bill 2024”, its chairman Senator Faisal Saleem Rehman and Senator Saifullah Abro, both belonging to PTI, opposed it.

The private member bill was moved by Senators Saleem Mandviwala, Samina Mumtaz Zehri, Irfanul Haque Siddiqui, Syed Faisal Ali Subzwari and Umer Farooq.

The movers stated that the bill aimed to regulate peaceful assemblies in the Islamabad territory because growing processions had made citizens’ lives miserable.

Movers say bill aimed to regulate peaceful assemblies in Islamabad because growing processions have made lives miserable

It will streamline the procedures for the grant of permission to hold political and non-political gatherings, earmark specific places for gatherings and also mentions punishments for illegal assemblies.

The committee was informed by the secretary interior and other officials, including Mohammad Ali Randhawa, the chief commissioner Islamabad, that currently NOCs were granted by the administration for holding public rallies and gatherings.

They said there was no specific place for gatherings in Islamabad and the unregulated protests and sit-ins were creating serious problems for residents.

“We want to earmark a designated place at the outskirts of Islamabad and after consensus it was noted that such a place would be at the entry points of the federal capital.

Meanwhile, an official of the law division said there was no law regarding peaceful assembly in Islamabad and the executive magistrate had discretionary powers to grant the NOC for assemblies and to cancel them.

Presenting the bill, Senator Mandviwala argued that Dharnas and protests had become rampant in Islamabad mainly around D-Chowk and Faizabad.

“But we forget that there are residents here, they too have rights, these are locals as well as foreign citizens including diplomats,” he said. “Nobody knows what will be the day like today we all can get stuck anywhere from Srinagar Highway to Faizabad or any road to Red Zone is closed; this has to be streamlined.”

He said regular lockdowns should be stopped through any legal means.

“Besides, getting permission for any political or non-political gathering is the prerogative of the administration. If people do not get it, they approach court and again it becomes the prerogative of the judiciary,” Senator Mandviwala said.

Senator Faisal Sabzwari said that the bill should also cover religious gatherings as most of illegal sit-ins were held by religo-political parties who claimed that their protest was not political.

Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri said a specific place should be designated for gatherings, following the example of Hyde Park, London.

However, Senator Saifullah Abro contradicted all arguments and said the bill was to target a certain political party.

He highlighted the unlawful arrest of Senator Mushtaq Ahmed.

“This has been happening in Islamabad for a long time, and the law allows all citizens to protest while there were laws to penalise the violators,” he added.

The committee witnessed serious arguments between Senator Abro and Senator Awan of the PPP, as the latter tried to disturb the queries forwarded by him.

Senator Palwasha Khan had to stand and move between the two lawmakers, and later requested Senator Awan to sit between her seat and that of Senator Mandviwala.

Senator Samina Zehri stressed that parliamentarians needed to respect each other, but this led to an argument between her and Senator Abro too and the latter accused the movers of the bill of acting on behalf of the establishment as they wanted to discourage political forces in the country.

The committee unanimously passed three more bills: “The Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Bill 2024”, “The Prevention of Smuggling of Migrants Bill 2024” and “The Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Amendment Bill 2024”.

Published in Dawn, September 4th, 2024