Pakistan - September 2024

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