Islamabad authorities have decided to impose a ban on pillion riding on New Year’s Eve. The decision has been taken under section 144 of Code of Criminal Procedure.
A notification issued by Islamabad Capital Territory District Magistrate Lt. (retd) Rana Muhammad Waqas reads that the ban has been imposed to “provide immediate protection to public life and property” as “some pillion riders are likely to resort to violence and disrupting the peace and tranquillity” in the federal capital on the New Year’s Eve.
The ban will remain in effect for five hours, from 9pm on December 31 to January 1, 2am. On the other hand, the Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Athar Minallah rejected an application seeking a ban on fireworks in the capital city on New Year’s Eve and the New Year’s Day.
“Let people enjoy,” remarked Justice Athar Minallah.
Earlier in the day, a resident of Islamabad filed a petition in court against a fireworks show held outside a shopping mall in the city every year. “The mall is located near the GT Road. People in huge numbers come out on the streets to watch it [the fireworks] and block roads,” the petition read.
