Following the Senate’s approval, the National Assembly (NA) passed the “Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Bill, 2024” on Friday, which includes up to three years of imprisonment for organizing unauthorized rallies in Islamabad.

Introduced by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Danyal Chaudhary, the bill seeks to regulate public gatherings in the federal capital to prevent disruptions to public order.

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Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, speaking in parliament, emphasized that the bill’s goal is to maintain peace during public assemblies and processions. He dismissed the opposition’s objections, arguing that frequent demonstrations in Islamabad have caused considerable inconvenience to residents. The bill, he said, addresses these issues while safeguarding the right to peaceful assembly.

Despite resistance from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) lawmakers, the bill was passed by a majority vote. With approval from both parliamentary houses, the bill will now be sent to President Asif Ali Zardari for final endorsement to become law.

The bill gives the district magistrate the authority to regulate or ban public assemblies in Islamabad. It proposes up to three years’ imprisonment and/or an unspecified fine for those involved in an unlawful assembly, with repeat offenders facing up to 10 years in prison.

According to a report from The News, event organizers must apply in writing to the district magistrate at least seven days before their event. The magistrate would evaluate the law and order situation and consult with law enforcement before granting approval.

Additionally, the government could designate certain areas of Islamabad as red or high-security zones, banning all types of assemblies in those regions. The district magistrate would only permit gatherings in pre-defined areas and under specific conditions, including time and location restrictions.

The bill also empowers the district magistrate to ban assemblies in the event of national security risks, credible threats of violence, significant disruptions to daily life, or overlapping events. Such a ban can be extended if the risk persists.

Finally, police officers, under the district magistrate’s instruction, may disperse any assembly likely to disturb public peace, and participants are required to comply.