ISLAMABAD: The government of Pakistan has decided to undertake legislation to place curb on unauthorised gatherings in the federal capital forthwith.
The decision has been taken in the backdrop of complaints received by the diplomats, business community and ordinary citizens of Islamabad who have asked the administration to rid them menace of sit-ins and other public gatherings since they have become source of nuisance for them.
The adverse impact of the sit-ins on the national economy and country’s prestige across the world is also among the causes of legislation in question. The National Assembly will take up the draft for legislation early next week.
Highly placed sources said on Friday that the legislation would be in accordance with the Constitution, and it says in Article 16 under ‘Freedom of Assembly’ that ‘every citizen shall have the right to assemble peacefully and without arms, subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the interest of public order.’
The sources said that the Islamabad district magistrate will be authorised to designate one or more than one open places for holding public gatherings and protests. The gatherings and protests other than such designated placed would be strictly prohibited, and it would be a crime punishable imprisonment and heavy fine.
PTI resignations ‘deceptive move’
ISLAMABAD: The PML-N government has decided not to accept the resignations of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNAs as around 10 parliamentarians of the PTI from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are in contact with the JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to form a forward bloc in the assembly after serious reservations with the party leadership.
A well-placed source in the PML-N and a member of the federal cabinet said that although the PTI has submitted resignations to the Speaker National Assembly’s Chamber yet it has left some lacunas in the resignations deliberately.
“Instead of addressing the Speaker National Assembly in their resignations, some of the PTI MNAs have submitted their resignations by addressing the chairman of the party.
This means the Speaker would return these resignations after raising some objection and this is what the PTI wants at this time.
AGENCIES
