Deputy Commissioners of Mardan and Haripur imposed Section 144 in their districts on Sunday and ordered all political parties to seek prior permission for holding political rallies. A spokesman for the Mardan district administration said an executive order was issued as per the directives of the high court and Supreme Court of Pakistan.
The district administration warned that strict action will be taken against the violators. Section 144 in district Haripur In the light of instructions issued by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) home department, the administration of district Haripur has imposed section 144 across the district so that what it says peaceful elections could be ensured.
According to the notification issued by the deputy commissioner Haripur, there will be a complete ban on the display of all kinds of weapons (including licensed) until further orders. Likewise, taking out rallies and holding public gatherings will also be prohibited, and no political party will be allowed to organize any such event without the prior permission of the district administration; otherwise, action will be taken against the organizers. However, the notification will not apply to the law enforcement agencies.—INP
