Deputy Commissioner Dr. Hassan Waqar said the restrictions were issued after intelligence inputs warned of attempts by “certain groups” to mobilize crowds and target sensitive locations. The order also bans the carrying of weapons, sticks, petrol bombs, and any explosive material. Pillion riding, hate speeches, loudspeakers, and efforts to dismantle police barricades have also been barred.
The clampdown comes as Imran Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), announced large-scale protests outside the Islamabad High Court and Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail. PTI leaders accuse authorities of blocking court-ordered meetings with Khan, who has reportedly been kept in isolation for six weeks. “The court has failed to implement its orders. The jail administration is not complying either,” PTI leader Asad Qaiser said, announcing a sit-in.
Tensions escalated earlier this week when Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi was manhandled by police outside Adiala Jail. PTI alleges the assault was carried out on army instructions, a claim officials have not addressed. Afridi warned of mass protests if the government fails to disclose Khan’s condition, accusing authorities of withholding critical information.
The federal government, meanwhile, signaled it is weighing President’s Rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, citing what Minister of State for Justice Aqeel Malik called a “severe breakdown” of law and order.
Rumors surrounding Imran Khan’s health intensified after his son Qasim claimed the PTI founder had been kept in a “death cell” and denied family access for weeks. PTI supporters have since staged night-long demonstrations outside Adiala Jail, demanding proof that Khan is alive.
With Section 144 in force and political confrontation deepening, Islamabad braces for volatile days ahead.
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