Government imposes Section 144 in Lahore. As the former ruling PTI announced voluntary arrests and a move out of the city, the caretaker government in Punjab imposed Section 144 for a week in three areas of the provincial capital Lahore.
The additional chief secretary issued a notification outlawing all gatherings, protests, and processions of any kind from the Mian Mir Bridge to Istanbul Chowk, the Civil Secretariat, and the streets near those locations along Main Boulevard Gulberg.
It added that rallies and protests pose significant security risks because Mall Road and main boulevard Gulberg Lahore are historically significant and contain business centres as well as highly sensitive historical installations.
Pakistan Super League will shift in Lahore from Feb 26, where a large number of spectators are likely to visit Qaddafi Stadium, via Main Boulevard Gulberg, the notification added.
Government imposes Section 144 in Lahore. Here is the notification:
The recent move by the Naqvi-led caretaker setup will benefit Imran Khan-led party in its court arrest movement as it provides legal ground for arrest.
Last week, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan announced that his party’s ‘Jail Bharo Tehreek’ would start from the Punjab capital on Wednesday in protest against the crackdown on PTI leaders and economic instability.
PTI leaders and activists are expected to storm key regions to get arrested. Reports suggest that former Governor Umer Sarfraz Cheema, Senator Waleed Iqbal, Murad Raas, Muhammad Khan Madni, and Fawad Rasool along with other lawmakers and hundreds of workers would court arrested tomorrow.
On the other hand, Dr Arif Alvi here on Monday announced April 9 as the date for holding general elections for the provincial assemblies of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a press release issued by the President’s secretariat said.
The unilateral announcement of the election date by the President came after ECP turned down his invitation for consultations on dates for elections.
According to a press release issued by the President’s Secretariat’s Press Wing, the announcement of the election date was made under Section 57 (1) of the Elections Act, 2017.
Furthermore, President Alvi asked the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to “issue election programme in accordance with Section 57 (2) of the Act”.
