LAHORE: The police barricaded all the entry and exit points of the provincial capital by placing containers, set up hundreds of checkpoints and deployed a large number of personnel here on Friday in response to the protest call given by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) for today (Saturday).

While section 144 has been enforced in Lahore, slapping a ban on rallies, gatherings, sit-ins and other political activities, the police’s operations, investigation, elite, and reserves wings have been put on high alert to curb agitation by the PTI workers.

The police also placed containers on many major roads in the city to disrupt the PTI’s protest.

However, the stringent security measures caused a great deal of inconveniences to the citizens, particularly motorists, as many of them were stopped by police officials at pickets, searched and asked about their identity.

Section 144 challenged

The prime focus of the police remained on the posh localities like the Defence Housing Authority (DHA), Gulberg, Johar Town etc where the police made intensive patrolling to ensure implementation of Section 144.

Some senior police officers spent most of the time at the Punjab Safe Cities Authority’s headquarters where they monitored the situation in the city through the cameras and issued necessary directions to their subordinates in the field.

As per reports, the police have set up hundreds of pickets on different city roads, intersections and “trouble points”, including Liberty Roundabout, Ravi Road, Jail Road, The Mall, Ferozepur Road and Gulberg’s Main Boulevard as part of security measures.

Because of these checkpoints, the traffic was witnessed moving on a snail’s pace on different city arteries in the evening, causing inconvenience to those returning home from their workplaces.

The sources say that tight security arrangements have been made, especially at the entry and exit points, including Thokhar Niaz Beg, Babu Sabu, Saggian, Kala Shah Kaku and Lahore-Sialkot Motorway, where police personnel were seen checking every vehicle before allowing it to leave or enter the city.

The security checkpoints, especially at the city’s exit-entry points, resulted in long queues of vehicles.

As per the sources, the security officials were strictly directed to stop the rallies and gatherings of the PTI workers at all costs and take action against them for violating Section 144.

Particularly, the police blocked all the major roads leading to the Minar-i-Pakistan where the PTI workers have been directed to gather on Saturday (today) by the party leadership, the sources says, adding that containers have been placed outside Data Darbar, on Ravi Road, at Lorry Adda, and Ravi Bridge.

The same strategy has been adopted to block Gajumata, Manawan, Barki, and other roads of the city to stop the rallies and gatherings of the PTI workers and activists expected today.

According to some reports, the police and the PTI workers briefly clashed at some entry and exit points of Lahore when the latter attempted to enter the city.

The sources say, the police also launched a massive crackdown on the PTI leaders and activists in the city, arresting several of them in raids on their homes, party offices and other premises to stop them from gathering at the Minar-i-Pakistan.

SECTION 144 CHALLENGED: The imposition of Section 144 for six days in the provincial capital has been challenged in the Lahore High Court.

A citizen, Malik Najiullah, filed a petition through Advocate Azhar Siddique, listing the Punjab government and the Lahore deputy commissioner as respondents.

The petition argues that the enforcement of Section 144 of CrPC, which restricts public assembly, is illegal and unconstitutional, as the Constitution grants citizens the right to protest.

It alleges that the government imposed the bar only to stop ‘peaceful’ protests announced by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI).

It requests the court to declare the notification enforcing Section 144 for six days -- from Oct 3 -- in Lahore, null and void.

According to a government notification, the restriction on public gatherings was implemented to maintain law and order and to protect human lives and property.

It says that due to security threats, any public gathering could become a soft target for terrorists.

Published in Dawn, October 5th, 2024