PTI’s planned protests Punjab govt imposes Section 144 in Faisalabad, Bahawalpur, Mianwali

LAHORE: The Punjab government on Tuesday imposed Section 144(6) in Faisalabad, Bahawalpur and Mianwali, prohibiting all forms of public gathering as PTI prepared for a rally in the southern Punjab district. PTI has carried out multiple rallies across the country, protesting against the “illegal” imprisonment of the party founder, ECP’s delay in following the Supreme Court verdict on the reserved seats and “save the constitution”. Each time, the government has issued a set of strict guidelines ahead of the rallies, sparking clashes between PTI workers and the authorities. Incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan gave a fresh call for countrywide protests yesterday for the “independence of [the] judiciary”, including a demonstration in Islam­abad where all such gatherings are banned. As per the PTI founder’s announcement, the party will hold protests in Mianwali, Faisalabad, and Bahawalpur today (Wednesday). Separately, PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram announced a “large protests in Multan, Mianwali and Faisalabad on October 2”. “It is your duty to come out,” Waqas said. According to separate notifications issued by the Punjab interior ministry on Tuesday for Mianwali, Faisalabad and Bahawalpur, PTI’s rallies planned for Wednesday could be exploited by “terrorists” who could take advantage and “carry out subversive activities as [a] number of threat alerts have been received”. The notifications claimed the prevailing law and order situation in the country provided a “soft target” to the miscreants posing a “serious security threat”. Incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan gave a fresh call for countrywide protests yesterday for the “independence of [the] judiciary”, including a demonstration in Islam­abad where all such gatherings are banned. They said that there were sufficient grounds to proceed under Section 144 to prevent disturbance of public peace, the safety of lives and property of the public and tranquillity in the districts. The notification for Faisalabad and Bahawalpur prohibited “all kinds of political assemblies, gatherings, sits-in, rallies, demonstrations, jalsas, protests and such other activities” for two days whereas the same was imposed in the Mianwali district for seven days.