Protests on major roads banned in Peshawar

The ban has been imposed under Section-144 for a month

PESHAWAR: In a bid to tackle the traffic situation, the Peshawar district administration on Wednesday imposed a ban on all types of protests on major thoroughfares and outside all hospitals in the city.

The ban has been imposed for a month. The ban has been imposed under Section 144 by the Peshawar Deputy Commissioner (DC) Saqib Aslam Raza.

According to a notification issued by the DC’s office, Raza pointed out that frequent protests on major thoroughfares led to traffic gridlocks. With vehicles ‘trapped’ in these logjams, miscreants have a field day looting commuters.

“There is also apprehension that miscreants may take the benefit of such kind of situation which may create uncertainty among the general public,” the notification said. According to the notification, protests would not be allowed outside the provincial assembly’s gate, Surey Pull [Rehman Baba Square], Jail Road, Circular Road, GT Road, all hospitals in the city, and the Mall Road.

The DC said that it was absolutely necessary to impose section-144 to maintain peace and harmony in the district for 30 days.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 11^th, 2017.