Section 144 imposed in Islamabad amid protest

ISLAMABAD: The federal capital authorities implemented Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure to ban public gatherings throughout Islamabad because they expected protests to follow the announcement of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s death through a US-Israeli military operation.

The district administration issued an official statement, which declared that all public assemblies, protests, sit-ins, and rallies, and Section 144 violations will result in legal action against offenders because they are deemed illegal activities.

The government has issued a warning to citizens that they should avoid joining any public gatherings because regional tensions continue to increase.

The development emerged after hundreds of protesters marched through the federal capital on Sunday to express their opposition to the recent attack, which targeted Iran’s Supreme Leader.

Police used tear gas and baton charges to break up the demonstrators as tensions reached a critical point throughout the central areas of the city.

The Islamabad police issued an advisory which declared that all routes to the Red Zone that contains major government buildings, were shut down.