Pillion riding banned for two days

ISLAMABAD: The government has decided to ban on pillion riding in Islamabad ahead of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) planned protest demonstration, ARY News reported citing sources.

The pillion riding ban will be in effect for two days (Friday and Saturday) in Islamabad, the sources said. They added that an official notification will be issued soon.

Meanwhile, the Private Schools Association also announced the closure of schools in the federal capital. The association stressed that the safety of children is the top priority, stating that containers placed in the city have already caused difficulties for students to commute.

The protest is scheduled for Friday, October 04 while the federal government has devised a strategy to manage the situation.

Earlier, Interior Minister Senator Mohsin Naqvi said that the federal government will take every possible measure to prevent protest demonstrations in Islamabad

Addressing a presser, the interior minister said that many crucial diplomatic meetings and events are being held in Islamabad as Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is visiting Pakistan as well as a Saudi delegation would also reach the capital city.

Mohsin Naqvi said that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) conference will also be held in Islamabad.

“Keeping in view the current scenario, no one would be allowed to hold the demonstration,” he added. He asked the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership to refrain from protests in Islamabad, citing security concerns and upcoming international events.

Mohsin Naqvi asked Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to reconsider his decision and defer the demonstration in Islamabad. The interior minister said that Section 144 is imposed in Islamabad and no one will be allowed to take law into hands.

“Anyone who takes the law into own hands will be dealt with legally. We have to see security arrangements and there will be no leniency. Given that people are being invited from other provinces too, the protest should not be at the cost of Pakistan’s honor,” Mohsin Naqvi said.