Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister (CM) Sohail Afridi has altered his planned Punjab tour following the death of PTI worker Ishtiaq Ahmed, while authorities have tightened security measures across Punjab and Islamabad ahead of the opposition party’s planned march on the federal capital.
Afridi was scheduled to begin a 13-city tour of Punjab on Monday to mobilise supporters for a “decisive peaceful protest march” on Islamabad on Sept 27. However, he said that he would first visit the residence of the deceased PTI worker in Lahore before deciding the next course of action for the party’s “Punjab Street Movement”.
“Tomorrow, I will go to the home of martyred Ishtiaq Ahmad in Lahore, and after that, I will outline the course of action for the Punjab Street Movement right here in Lahore,” Afridi said.
The original tour plan was to begin from Daud Khel and pass through Mianwali City, Wanbachran, Quaidabad, Joharabad, Khushab, Shahpur, Sargodha, Lalian and Chiniot before reaching Faisalabad for an overnight stay. The caravan was then scheduled to travel towards Lahore, with a brief stop in Sheikhupura.
The change in the tour plan comes as the Punjab government has imposed a province-wide ban on gatherings of five or more people until Sept 17 under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
A notification issued by the Punjab Home Department said that law enforcement and intelligence agencies had reported threats to public peace and the safety of lives and property from militant and terrorist organisations and hostile intelligence agencies.
The department said that multiple threat alerts about possible terrorist activities have been logged, some involving suicide bombers, vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices and targeted killings during large public gatherings.
The restrictions apply to processions and assemblies of five or more people at public places, roads, highways and open spaces.
The government has also prohibited activities aimed at inciting people to participate in unlawful assemblies and banned the carrying, display or brandishing of weapons at public places.
The restrictions do not apply to marriage ceremonies, funeral prayers, prayers at mosques and other places of worship, courts or official government events. Law enforcement, intelligence and security personnel are also exempt from the weapons restriction while performing official duties.
The Punjab police chief, Counter-Terrorism Department, Special Branch and district administrations had requested immediate preventive measures, according to the notification.
Security preparations have also extended to Islamabad. The federal government has sought 23,500 police personnel from the provinces for deployment in the capital on Sept 20, with Punjab asked to provide 15,000 officers, Sindh 8,000 and Balochistan 500.
In Rawalpindi, police chief Hassan Mushtaq Sukhera has cancelled leave for all officers until October, except in genuine emergencies. Police have also prepared a list of 179 PTI figures, including sitting and former lawmakers.
District authorities have issued preventive detention orders against PTI workers under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order, including 31 workers in one Punjab notification and 14 in Toba Tek Singh.
Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah alleged that PTI was planning to bring “armed supporters” to Islamabad. He also warned that terrorists from India-sponsored Fitna al-Khawarij could exploit the rally to widen the rift between the public and the state, and said that the protest would ultimately fail.
