Authorities impose Section 144 in Karachi, ban gatherings of more than 5 people till Oct 20

KARACHI: The Karachi commissioner on Saturday imposed Section 144 in the metropolis from Oct 20 to prevent protests and demonstrations from inconveniencing the public and causing a “deterioration of the law and order situation”. Section 144 is a provision in the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) which empowers local authorities to ban public gatherings such as rallies, processions and sit-ins, as well as the open display of weapons. The notification, issued by Karachi Commissioner Syed Hassan Naqvi, said that it had been reported that protests, demonstrations, sit-ins and rallies were being…