Islamabad, September 24, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Pakistan’s Punjab government has imposed a 13-day ban on public gatherings across the province ahead of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s planned long march to Islamabad on September 27, while seeking additional security measures in several districts.
Under the order, assemblies, processions and gatherings of five or more people have been prohibited at public places, roads, highways and open spaces across Punjab. The restrictions also prohibit the carrying or display of weapons in public and encouraging or inciting people to participate in unlawful gatherings.
Weddings, funeral prayers, burials and gatherings at mosques and other places of worship have been exempted from the restrictions. The provincial government cited security threats and intelligence reports warning of possible militant or terrorist attacks targeting large public gatherings.
The PTI has announced the September 27 march to Islamabad, with the party seeking the release of its founder and jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The Punjab government has also sought the deployment of Pakistan Rangers in Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum and Mianwali to assist police with security arrangements. The requested deployment covers September 22 to October 5.
Authorities have additionally sought restrictions on mobile and internet services at specified locations in Rawalpindi and Attock on September 27 amid concerns over the expected law-and-order situation.
The measures come amid a wider crackdown involving PTI leaders, workers and relatives of Imran Khan. Three of Khan’s sisters — Aleema Khan, Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi — were detained ahead of the planned protest, with their detention orders being challenged before the Lahore High Court.
Aleema Khan’s son, Shahraiz Khan, has challenged the 30-day detention orders issued against the three women, seeking their immediate release and arguing that the orders were unlawful. The petition also disputes the authorities’ grounds for Aleema Khan’s detention.
Meanwhile, Imran Khan’s son Kasim Khan has publicly criticised the detention of his aunts and cousins and called for international attention to the matter.
The PTI march and the government’s security measures have intensified political tensions in and around Islamabad, where authorities have separately imposed restrictions on public gatherings. Islamabad’s Section 144 order is in force for two months, according to the district administration.
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