Public gatherings, rallies banned in South Waziristan

A district magistrate in South Waziristan, Suhail Khan has banned all gatherings, rallies and protests in the tribal region without the district administration's approval for a month.

This comes after reports were received about some alleged anti-state gatherings being held in the area.

An order dated June 9, which was issued by the DM said, "Reports have been received that certain elements are resorting to objectionable, prejudicial, hate speeches against the state institutions in public gatherings, assemblies and processions which are likely to disturb the public peace and law and order situation in the tribal district of South Waziristan," as per Dawn.

There are sufficient grounds to prevent such gatherings under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), it said.

Any person found violating the order, "shall render himself/themselves punishable under Section 188 of [the] Pakistan Penal Code", the order warned.

The order came after North Waziristan's political administration accused a leader of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) of "acting in a manner prejudicial to public peace and tranquillity".

The accused was later banished from the region for three months.

PTM members are now holding protests worldwide against the recent firing by Pakistani Army on a rally of Pashtun activists in South Waziristan.