The National Assembly on Friday passed a controversial bill banning unauthorized gatherings in the federal capital, a day after the Senate had done the same.
The Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Bill, 2024 proposes up to three years’ imprisonment for any members of unauthorized gatherings and empowers the district magistrate to determine whether conditions are conducive for any gathering. The bill now only requires the approval of President Asif Ali Zardari to become an act of Parliament.
While the government maintains the bill is necessary to save residents of the federal capital from frequent road closures, the opposition—particularly the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)—states that it is aimed at denying their constitutional right to free assembly.
Opposing the bill on Friday, PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan questioned the haste in passing the legislation, demanding a proper debate. Describing the bill as being against the fundamental rights of peaceful gatherings and freedom of expression, he claimed it sought to “weaponized” the judiciary.
PTI’s chief whip Aamir Dogar, similarly, claimed the “colonial-era” bill was aimed at hurting his party. He noted that it was being passed just two days before the PTI was scheduled to hold a public rally in Islamabad and described it as “fascist.”
Rebutting the opposition’s concerns, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said the bill was already discussed threadbare in the Senate committee prior to its passage by the Upper House. He said other parts of the world had similar law designating specific venues for protests and assured the PTI that if the opposition had any objection or wanted to amend the law, it could make an attempt even after its passage.
Also on Friday, the Lower House passed the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which was earlier passed by the Senate.