- DIG Security Division issues directives to KP Police personnel.
- The police ordered people to avoid participating in political activities.
- He asked to stay in his legal and geographical jurisdictions.
PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police officers have been directed to perform their duties within their legal and geographical jurisdictions amid concerns raised by the Center over the use of state machinery by the PTI-led provincial government for political protests.
In an official circular sent to senior officials across the province, Security Division Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Shakir Hussain Dawar reminded police personnel that they have a duty to maintain neutrality and should not engage in any kind of political activity.
The directive reinforces existing rules that prohibit members of law enforcement from aligning with a political group or joining its demonstrations and rallies.
The directions come amid concerns within the federal government that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) may attempt to use the provincial police force for political purposes, as the party plans to stage a protest outside the Islamabad High Court (IHC) today.
PTI KP chapter spokesperson Adeel Iqbal said the party had decided to hold the rally on December 2 (today). talking to Geographic news on Saturday he stated, “This time, there will be a well-defined strategy to meet the PTI founder.”
He warned that the party will respond to “any illegal action taken against them,” adding that the days of “those who violate the Constitution are numbered.”
Chief Minister KP Sohail Afridi has been repeatedly denied permission to meet the PTI founder jailed in Adiala Jail; The latest denial is the eighth since he took office. Following the most recent denial last week, he spent the night outside Adiala jail.
He was later joined by Tehreek Tahaffuz Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP) chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) chief Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, Mishal Yousafzai, Senator Gurdeep Singh, Senator Rubina Naz, MNA Zulfiqar Ahmed and KP Information Minister Shafi Jan.
In light of today’s protest announcement, authorities in the capital have reiterated that Article 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure remains in force in Islamabad, which prohibits protests, rallies or public meetings. The district administration warned that immediate action would be taken against any illegal activities.
“Police and other law enforcement agencies have been placed on high alert,” the statement said, adding that all security forces will work together to maintain order. Citizens were advised to avoid activities declared illegal under Article 144.
Meanwhile, Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner Hasan Waqar Cheema also imposed Section 144 in the city from December 1 to 3.
Meanwhile, the children of the jailed former prime minister have expressed fears that authorities may be hiding “something irreversible” about his condition after more than three weeks without any verifiable information about his well-being.
Kasim Khan said Reuters that despite the court-ordered right to meet weekly, the family had had no direct contact with him, fueling speculation about a possible move to some other undisclosed location or a deterioration in his health.
The PTI founder has been in prison since August 2023, following his removal from office through a vote of no confidence in April 2022.
