At the end of November, thousands of supporters of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party marched from Peshawar to Islamabad (160 kms) to protest for the release of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Between 24 and 26 November, police and army forces arrested over 1,000 protestors. The protests are part of continuous and escalating clashes between Khan supporters and state forces. The recent protests are particularly remarkable for directly defying the military, the intense backlash from state forces and their sheer scale. Police and army forces locked down Islamabad, banning all assemblies, blocking the roads with shipping containers, and closing all educational institutions. Internet and telecommunication services were partially shut down as well. Under recent legislation, protests in certain parts of Islamabad, called “red zones”, have been severely limited, while punishments for participating in illegal assemblies have greatly increased.

Sources: Straits Times (1), Straits Times (2), Al Jazeera, Deutsche Welle (DW), International IDEA, Dawn 

On 21 October, the Parliament of Pakistan passed the 26th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2024, which grants the authority for naming the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to a special Parliamentary Committee whose members are selected by leaders of parliamentary political parties. Previously, the next most senior judge was named Chief Justice automatically. The amendment further introduced a three-year term for chief justices. The bill was passed just before the current Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa is scheduled to retire, and his scheduled replacement under the previous regulations would have been justice Mansoor Ali Shah, who has previously issued verdicts in favour of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his party. The act gives the parliament increased power over the judiciary, and Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, warns that the bill threatens judicial independence. 

Sources: National Assembly of Pakistan, Al Jazeera, The Economist

On 6 October, the Pakistan government banned the Pashtun Protection Movement (Pashtun Tahafuz Movement, PTM), an ethnic social movement for Pashtun rights in Pakistan. The Interior Ministry cited peace and security concerns, putting the PTM on the list of proscribed organizations under the country’s anti-terrorism laws. The ban occurred just a few days before a planned assembly of PTM leaders and resulted in protests from PTM supporters, during which three people were killed in clashes with police. Human rights groups warn that banning the PTM is a continuation of the government crackdown on both voices critical of the military establishment and supporters of the former Prime Minister Imran Khan.   

Sources: New York Times, Arab News, Al Jazeera, Amnesty International, Himal Southasian

On 6 September 2024, a five-judge panel of the Supreme Court reinstated a set of amendments to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) law, overturning a 2023 ruling made by a three-judge panel. The amendments limit the NAB’s authority by prohibiting it from making rulings on corruption cases that concern less than PKR 500 million. The original case was brought by former Prime Minister Imran Khan in front of the Supreme Court in 2023, who argued the amendments protect politicians and enable corruption. Legal experts have raised concerns that the reinstated amendments could potentially weaken anti-corruption efforts by limiting NAB’s investigative powers.

Sources: International IDEA, Supreme Court of Pakistan, Al Jazeera, Tribune, Dawn

On 6 September, Pakistan’s president signed the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act, which restricts public assemblies in Islamabad. Assemblies are now required to be registered a week in advance and are scrutinized over security and public order concerns. Those who assemble without permission face up to three years in prison for a single attendance and up to ten years for repeated offenses. The bill was passed into law just one week after it was presented to the Senate. The swiftness of the process has led to concerns from opposition leader Senator Shibli Faraz that the law is targeted specifically at members of his party as the opposition had planned a large-scale demonstration the following week. Although the law is restricted to Islamabad, Amnesty International warns it could set a dangerous precedent that could spill over to the rest of the country.

Sources: Senate of Pakistan, Dawn, Amnesty International, Al Jazeera