Pakistan: the New Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act threatens the right to protest

11 September 2024

Responding to the granting of Presidential assent to the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act 2024 late last week and the continued crackdown on peaceful protests in Pakistan, Babu Ram Pant, Deputy Regional Director for South Asia at Amnesty International said:

"The Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act 2024 is yet another attack on the right to freedom of peaceful assembly in Pakistan which has a long history of enacting draconian legislation to criminalize peaceful protest and suppress the expression of dissent.

"Rather than attempting to bring the existing restrictive legal framework in line with international human rights law and standards, the Government of Pakistan has shown inordinate speed in ensuring the passage of the new bill by both houses of Parliament and in obtaining Presidential assent within a week of it being tabled. The law expands the power of the authorities to restrict or ban assemblies in Islamabad on overbroad grounds, including the 'disruption of daily activities', and significantly increases the maximum penalty for taking part in an 'unlawful assembly' from six months to three years imprisonment.

"While applicable only to the Islamabad Capital Territory, the law not only creates a chilling effect in the capital but also sets a dangerous precedent that could be replicated by provincial governments across the country. Those potentially impacted by such laws - including civil society groups, activists and political opponents - must be consulted in a timely manner during any legislative drafting process. It is also critical that the right to peacefully assemble within sight and sound of government buildings and politically symbolic locations is preserved.

"The Pakistan government must immediately repeal the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act and amend other laws that allow for blanket bans on assemblies and impose restrictive requirements which are in flagrant violation of the country's international human rights obligations. Any restrictions must strictly comply with the principles of legality, necessity and proportionality."

Background:

The Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Bill was presented in the Senate of Pakistan on 2 September 2024 and approved by the Senate Standing Committee on the very next day. It was passed by the Senate and the National Assembly over the course of the following two days, despite objections from opposition parties. Presidential assent was granted in 'haste' by the end of the same week.