ISLAMABAD: PMLN Parliamentary Leader and Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs Chairman Irfan Siddiqui has said legislation pertaining to political activities in the capital aims at regulating and facilitating political activities.
“The Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act 2024 (Papoa) has been approved by the Senate. It does not in any way obstruct peaceful political activities. Instead, this law encourages peaceful political activities and provides necessary facilities for them,” he said while speaking to journalists outside the Parliament House here on Thursday. He said the Constitution did not recognize unregulated assemblies and Article 16 was quite clear on this matter. The freedom of assembly does not mean that the lives of Islamabad’s 2.5 million residents be made miserable.
He said the provinces had laws to deal with such activities, but Islamabad did not have any such regulations. The PPP, MQM, ANP, BAP and several independent members have supported this law.