- Capital admin tells PTI all public gatherings in Islamabad’s Red Zone have been banned over security fears
- Says party has neither approached admin nor obtained NoC of holding any political event on Oct 4
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s plans to stage a protest in front of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has hit a roadblock after the Islamabad District Administration issued a notification on Monday banning all public gatherings and rallies in the federal capital.
District Magistrate Capt (r) Mushtaq Ahmad issued the notification to PTI Additional Secretary General Saif Ullah Niazi, and addressed the protest rally planned for October 4.
“It is intimated that due to precarious security environment under Section 144 Cr. P.C. imposed in Islamabad Capital Territory, all public gathering and rallies are banned. No political gathering of any kind is allowed in Red Zone,” the notification read.
“Staging [a] rally elsewhere in Islamabad also requires No-Objection Certificate of the ICT Administration after submission of affidavit,” the notification pointed out, and added that so far no request of any kind had been received from PTI, and no permission of any sort had been granted either.
“You are requested to direct your party to approach the ICT Administration and share the details of [the] proposed programme on the said date. Needless to say that ensuring the safeguarding public life and property is obligatory not only on the administration but also on all responsible political parties and law abiding citizens of Pakistan,” the notification stated.
Earlier, PTI Chairman Imran Khan had announced that a protest would be held if ECP’s provincial members did not tender their resignations by October 4.
Addressing a public gathering after chairing a party meeting in Lahore a few days ago, he said, “There was no justification for the ECP members to hold their posts after 21 political parties had claimed that rigging took place during the 2013 elections.”
“We will stage a massive protest on October 4 in front of the ECP’s office in Islamabad if the current members do not resign from their posts,” the PTI chairman said. Khan had asked all his party activists and supporters to join the gathering.
