Karachi Extends Section 144 Ban Amid Security Concerns and Planned PTI Protests

Karachi—The Karachi administration has extended the enforcement of Section 144 for an additional two days, until October 19, as announced in a notification issued on Friday. This decision, made by Karachi Commissioner Hassan Naqvi under the powers delegated by the Sindh Home Department, imposes a complete ban on protests, demonstrations, sit-ins, rallies, and gatherings of more than five people in the city.

The notification stated that the ban was implemented at the request of the Additional Inspector General (AIG) of Karachi to maintain law and order. Station house officers (SHOs) of the concerned police stations have been authorized to take action against any violations during the period of enforcement.

Initially, Section 144 had been imposed in Karachi from October 13 to 17 to enhance security ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Islamabad. The extension of this ban comes as additional precautionary measures.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced nationwide protests on Friday against the proposed 26th constitutional amendment package. In a statement released on Wednesday, PTI’s political committee declared its intention to resist the proposed amendments, which include the establishment of a federal constitutional court and setting a three-year tenure for the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP).

The PTI leadership has directed regional and local organizations to hold peaceful demonstrations against the government’s constitutional reforms, with plans to prevent the passage of the amendments in both houses of parliament.

The imposition of Section 144 in Karachi is expected to impact PTI’s plans for protests in the city, as the administration tightens security and enforces the ban on public gatherings to avoid potential unrest.