The Punjab government on Friday imposed Section 144 in Rawalpindi district for eight days, banning public gatherings, as Pakistan prepares for the arrival of foreign dignitaries to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit scheduled to be held in Islamabad on October 15-16.

Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure is a legal provision that empowers district administrations to prohibit an assembly of four or more people in an area for a limited period. It is usually imposed to prevent potential disturbances, maintain law and order, and curb any activities that might escalate into violence.

Click to see more

The government has deployed more than 10,000 police and paramilitary personnel for the security of about 900 delegates who will arrive in Islamabad for the summit. The capital will also observe a three-day holiday to ensure the safety and protection of delegates.

According to a notification issued by the Punjab Home Department dated October 10 — a copy of which is available with Dawn.com — given that foreign dignitaries will arrive in the twin cities next week for the summit, it was requested to impose section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) 1898 on certain acts to maintain the law and order situation in the city.

The notification said the district administrations prohibited “all kinds of political assemblies, gatherings, sits-in, rallies, demonstrations, jalsas, protests and such like other activities” from October 10 to 17.

Pillion riding on motorcycles, aerial firing, pigeon flying, and the use of drones or laser lights have also been banned.

Separately, the Islamabad High Court also declared the starting three days of the next week (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday) as a “closed holiday” for IHC, civil, and session courts.

The provincial government has also imposed a ban on all political assemblies in nine other districts from Oct 10 to 12 following the announcement of protests by the PTI.

The PTI had announced a schedule of protests beginning from Multan and Sahiwal on Friday. The protests have been planned in Gujranwala and Sargodha on October 12, in Dera Ghazi Khan on October 13 and in Lahore and Faisalabad on October 14.