Public gatherings banned in Lakki, Bannu, Khyber

LAKKI MARWAT/KHYBER: Lakki Marwat deputy commissioner Abdul Hadi and Bannu deputy commissioner Manzoor Afridi on Saturday banned the assembly of more than five people in their respective districts for five days.

Officials said that the district administrations imposed the restriction after receiving credible reports that miscreants can carry out attacks on crowded places.

They said that the five-day ban, which would last till March 23, was extendable in the public interest. The officials said that the violators of the ban would face action as per the law.

Meanwhile, the Khyber administration on Saturday imposed Section 144, banning all types of public gatherings across the district.

The imposition of Section 144 was announced a day before the planned political gathering of Jamaat-i-Islami in Bara on Sunday (today).

The Jamaat had announced to hold a public meeting under the banner of Tehreek-i-Haqooq Qabail and had made elaborate arrangements for it by inviting leaders of various political parties from all districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with the JI emir Sirajul Haq and Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan as the main speakers.

In a notification issued from the Khyber House late on Saturday, it was stated that Section 144 was imposed due to the current security situation in Khyber.

The restriction would remain in place for six days.

The JI had not responded to the sudden imposition of an official ban on all types of public gatherings till the filing of this story.

Published in Dawn, March 19th, 2023