It emerged on Monday that a notification from the Islamabad district magistrate ordered that Section 144 be imposed in the Islamabad Capital Territory for two months.
Article 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code is a legal provision that empowers district administrations to prohibit a gathering of four or more people in an area for a limited period.
According to the notification, dated November 18 and available with Sunrise — the order was imposed because “certain segments of the society… were planning to organize illegal gatherings… within the jurisdiction of the Islamabad Capital Territory.”
He did not elaborate on what illegal gatherings were expected to take place.
The order prohibits “all types of gatherings of five or more persons, processions/rallies and demonstrations in any public place within the revenue limits of Islamabad district, including the Red Zone,” the notification said.
The notification adds that it is “necessary to control such illegal activities that pose a threat to public peace, tranquility and maintenance of law and order.”
“This order will come into force with immediate effect and will remain in force for a period of two months,” the notification said, and the order will be lifted on January 18, 2026.
