The Punjab government on Tuesday imposed Section 144 in Faisalabad, Bahawalpur and Mianwali, banning all forms of public gatherings ahead of the PTI’s call for protests in the districts for an “independent” judiciary.
In recent days, PTI founder Imran Khan—who remains incarcerated at Adiala Jail—has emphasized the need for mass protests, censuring party leaders who are urging restraint. As part of this drive, the former prime minister has announced protests in south Punjab today (Wednesday), followed by a protest in Islamabad—where all unauthorized demonstrations are banned—on Friday and another protest in Lahore on Saturday.
While Khan has warned party leaders of penalties if they don’t mobilize, the government has made clear it would not tolerate any unrest and vowed to undertake measures to hamper the planned protests.
In a video statement, PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram announced “large protests in Multan, Mianwali and Faisalabad on Oct. 2,” and urged party supporters to participate in them as a “duty.”
In separate notifications, the Punjab home department said it was imposing Section 144 in Mianwali, Faisalabad and Bahawalpur, noting “terrorists” could exploit the PTI’s planned rallies and take advantage of the situation to “carry out subversive activities.” The notifications emphasized that the prevailing law and order situation in the country made such gatherings a “soft target” for miscreants and posed serious security threats.
According to the notifications, Section 144 has been imposed in Faisalabad and Bahawalpur for two days, while it has been imposed in Mianwali district for seven days.
It remains unclear how successful the PTI’s latest attempts at protest would prove. Last week, the party sought to protest in Rawalpindi, with several clashes observed between police and PTI supporters. The protest never materialized, however, as Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur turned back en route, claiming it was “too late” to continue.
Similarly, Gandapur failed to reach in time the PTI’s earlier public gathering in Lahore, with the event wrapped up by police while he was still en route. According to local media, Khan has directed Gandapur and other PTI leaders to ensure this week’s protests are successful, warning that anyone who does not wish to participate should leave the party.