Ahead of the long march planned by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Islamabad on September 27, the Punjab government has imposed a 13-day ban on public gatherings across the province, shut down roads and businesses in and around Attock and Rawalpindi, and deployed the Rangers paramilitary force in four districts of the province, local media reported.
According to a notification issued by the Punjab government, gatherings of five or more people, processions, and assemblies in public places, on roads, and in open spaces across Punjab have been prohibited for 13 days. A report by the Pakistan-based daily states that the notification also bans the carrying and display of weapons, as well as the act of encouraging or inciting people to participate in illegal gatherings within the Punjab province.
The order does not cover weddings, funerals, burials, or gatherings at mosques and other places of worship. The notification states that law enforcement and intelligence agencies had received information regarding an imminent security threat, indicating that terrorist groups were planning attacks on public gatherings. This latest order from the Punjab government follows the detention of several PTI leaders, workers, and relatives of party founder Imran Khan on various grounds.
A petition was filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) challenging the 30-day detention orders issued against Imran Khan’s three sisters and seeking their immediate release. This petition was filed after the police arrested Imran Khan’s three sisters Aleema Khan, Noreen Niazi, and Uzma Khan following a 30-day detention order issued by the Lahore Deputy Commissioner under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance.
Aleema Khan’s son, Shahraz Khan, has filed a petition in court challenging the detention of his mother and two aunts. According to a report by Pakistan-based daily, Shahraz Khan has requested the court to set aside the detention orders and direct the immediate release of the three women.
He stated that the detention orders issued by the Lahore Deputy Commissioner were illegal and unjustified. He alleged that Aleema Khan was arrested while traveling with her driver for personal work, and there was no public gathering or situation present that posed a threat to public order. The petitioner stated that Aleema Khan was taken into custody along with her driver, Muhammad Amir.
