ISLAMABAD – Pakistan passed a new bill that would give authorities in capital Islamabad the power to regulate or ban public rallies and gatherings.
The controversial legislation prompted strong response from Amnesty International, which alleged it specifically targets the party. Amnesty International also denounced the new law, calling it an assault on the right to protest.
The law aims to regulate public gatherings in capital city by assigning specific locations and times for rallies. It also announced 3-year sentence for those involved in illegal assemblies, with repeat offenders facing up to ten years behind bars.
The criticism from Amnesty coincided with arrest of several lawmakers from Imran Khan’s PTI, who were detained after late-night raids in Islamabad for allegedly violating the recently introduced Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act 2024.
Deputy Regional Director for South Asia of Amntry called it further strangulation to the right to peaceful protest in South Asian nation known for using inhumane laws to suppress dissent and criminalize protests.
The new law sets harmful precedent for provincial governments as Amnesty International urged Pakistan’s government to repeal the legislation, arguing that it imposes sweeping bans on public gatherings and includes restrictive measures that violate the country’s international human rights obligations.
PTI supports AI’s demand for immediate restoration of social media X
