By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has finally obtained permission for a Sept. 8 rally in capital Islamabad, after authorities twice revoked earlier approvals.
The party has struggled to hold rallies since Khan’s arrest last year on multiple charges, including graft. Khan remains in prison despite four convictions being quashed by higher courts, with new cases filed against him.
Last month, authorities withdrawn a permission to the PTI from holding a planned rally on Aug. 22 on security threats and a lack of resources available with security agencies. The rally was initially planned for July to build pressure for Khan’s release from prison.
“District administration Islamabad issues permission to hold political gathering for PTI,” the party said in a statement. “We are hopeful PTI will be allowed a peaceful gathering unlike the times in recent past when permission was revoked.”
The PTI says it faces a state-backed crackdown and mass arrests of its members and supporters for standing by Khan. Authorities deny the allegations.
The Senate, meanwhile, approved a controversial bill regulating public gatherings in Islamabad, proposing three-year jail terms for participants of “illegal” assemblies and ten-year imprisonment for repeat offenders.
“Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Bill 2024” is aimed to streamline the process for obtaining permission to hold public gatherings in Islamabad and designating specific areas for such activity.
“To maintain and preserve public peace and public order, it is necessary to regulate holding of peaceful assembly in order to protect the fundamental rights of other citizens and to preserve public and private property and to ensure that daily lives of the citizens are not hindered and public functionaries are able to perform their duties smoothly,” the bill says.
The law defines assembly as any public or political gathering, rally or sit-in of more than 15 people on a public road, public place or any premises wholly or partly open air.
PTI claims the bill aims to restrict their planned rally in Islamabad on Sept. 8.
“These laws will be used against you one day,” PTI’s Shibli Faraz, who is the leader of the opposition in the senate, warned the treasury benches, adding that it was a “fundamental and democratic” right of the people to hold peaceful public gatherings.
“Our party got written permissions [for public gatherings], but they were canceled one day before the event when the people and all other resources had been mobilized,” Faraz said.
Ruling party Senator Irfan Siddiqui, who moved the bill, denied this, saying it protects citizens’ fundamental rights and regulates peaceful assembly.
“It has nothing to do with any jalsa [rally]… “We are not imposing any restrictions on anyone,” Siddiqui said.
“We are regulating it [peaceful assembly], we are not banning any peaceful assembly… They [PTI] should do their jalsa wherever they get the permission.”
The bill will now be tabled for a vote in the National Assembly, where the ruling coalition holds a simple majority. If passed, it will become law after approval from both houses.
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