LAHORE - A day before the start of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) court arrest movement, the Punjab government Monday imposed a complete ban on all kinds of gatherings, sit-ins, rallies, processions, demonstrations, and such like other activities in certain areas of the city to avert any untoward incident.
A good number of PTI workers and parliamentarians are expected to gather at Charing Cross on The Mall on Wednesday (tomorrow) to court arrest on the call of party chairman Imran Khan. They are also likely to stage a sit-in for an indefinite period if they are not arrested by the police.
According to a notification issued by the provincial home department late Monday night, section 144 has been imposed on The Mall from Mian Mir Bridge to Istanbul Chowk including its immediate vicinity. This also covers the Zaman Park residence of PTI chairman Imran Khan which has been the venue of daily gatherings by the party workers since November 2022.
Likewise, rallies and sit-ins have also been banned on main boulevard Gulberg, Lahore and outside the Punjab Civil Secretariat and its adjoining roads. This order shall remain in force for seven days.
The notifications says that the rallies have been banned in these areas after a report from the deputy commissioner Lahore who has reported that Mall Road and main boulevard Gulberg Lahore having historical significance consist of very sensitive and historical installations as well as business centers. Owing to their significance, several rallies and protests are held there on a daily basis which not only pose serious security threats but also disrupt traffic and cause inconvenience to the public in large. Charing Cross, being the favorite point for rallies and protests, has a history of terrorist activity in which a number of police officials and civilians embarrassed martyrdom in the past. Moreover, the PSL which is going to start from February 26 in Lahore has been cited as another reason for the ban on gatherings as many spectators are likely to visit Qaddafi stadium.