The order comes as the Kissan Ittehad and PTI have announced long marches and sit-ins in Islamabad in the coming week. The PTI has announced a long march on Sept 27 to press for the release of its founder, Imran Khan, who is currently incarcerated in Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail.

A copy of the order, issued by Islamabad Additional District Magistrate Dr Anam Fatima and dated Sept 18, is available with Dawn.

According to the order, Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code has been enforced with immediate effect and “shall remain in force for a period of two months”.

The order prohibited gatherings of five or more people, as well as processions, rallies and demonstrations, at any public place within the revenue limits of the district, including the Red Zone.

Highlighting that “certain segments of society” were planning to organise “unlawful assemblies”, the order termed it “necessary to control such types of illegal activities which present a threat to public peace, tranquillity and maintenance of law and order”.

It added that processions and demonstrations being planned in the territory were likely to threaten public peace, cause annoyance and injury, endanger human life and safety, threaten public property and could lead to a riot in Islamabad. On these grounds, it stated that “immediate prevention and speedy remedy is required” to protect life and property.

In a separate statement issued on Wednesday, the district administration said that Section 144 had been enforced in the federal capital.

“No gatherings or assemblies of any kind are permitted in the city. Gatherings are also banned under the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act 2024,” the district administration said.

It said that strict legal action will be taken in the event of a violation, adding that violation of the act carried a penalty of three years’ imprisonment.

“Citizens are urged not to participate in any illegal activity, and to cooperate with security agencies and demonstrate responsibility,” it added.

Preparations in the Rawalpindi Division and the federal capital territory to maintain security and deal with any emergency situation are in full swing in light of the potential long march by the PTI and other protests in Islamabad.

Section 144 has also separately been enforced across Punjab for 13 days, in view of “serious threats” to public peace, tranquillity, and the lives and property of citizens across Punjab.

The Punjab government has also requested the federal government to deploy Rangers in Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum and Mianwali districts from Sept 22 to Oct 5 to assist the provincial police in maintaining law and order amid the expected protest on Sept 27.

In August, the federal government authorised the deployment of three companies of the Pakistan Army in Rawalpindi for six months to perform “sensitive security duties” and respond to any unforeseen situation.

Following the revision, petrol will retail at Rs390.12 per litre while HSD will cost Rs414.75 per litre. The government continues to levy Rs114 per litre in taxes and duties on petrol and Rs100 per litre on diesel.

According to the Petroleum Division’s notification, the new prices will be applicable for Sept 24 (Thursday).

The price of HSD has come down from a peak of Rs520.35 recorded on April 3. Its price had started rising from Rs281 per litre after the US-Iran war broke out on February 28.

The petrol price had peaked at Rs458.41 on April 3 after beginning its upward trajectory from Rs266 in the first week of March.

Meanwhile, the government has reintroduced a raft of austerity measures in response to rising fuel prices amid the ongoing Middle East conflict. Under these measures, markets are required to close by 9pm and fuel allocations for official vehicles has been cut by 50 per cent for three months.

On September 13, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also announced a “relief scheme” for users of motorcycles, autos and vehicles of up to 800cc to “alleviate the burden” of rising global oil prices.

Previously, on July 17, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik announced that fuel prices would now be fixed on a daily basis due to fluctuations in international market prices following renewed hostilities between Iran and the US.

Prior to this, the government had been announcing weekly revisions to fuel prices since early March, alongside measures for the conservation of fuel amid possible oil supply disruptions due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The federal government in April also announced targeted relief measures to provide subsidised fuel.

The petroleum minister stated that the cabinet and the prime minister had decided to give the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) the responsibility of deciding fuel prices on a daily basis based on international market trends.

Petrol is mainly used in private transport, small vehicles, rickshaws and two-wheelers, and changes in its price affect the middle and lower-middle classes.

Similarly, changes in diesel prices also impact the public at large, as it is mainly used in the heavy transport sector, power plants and large generators.

Petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD) are the major revenue earners, with monthly sales of about 700,000 to 800,000 tonnes, compared to just 10,000 tonnes of monthly demand for kerosene.