Pakistan’s interior minister warns blocking IDs and passports of hecklers

Islamabad: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has warned of “legal proceedings, including cases, arrests, and even blocking of identity cards and passports” against anyone proven to be involved in heckling citizens and restricting their freedom of movement.

He warned of the legal action in a post on his official Twitter account addressing all Pakistani citizens, especially his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) friends. Taking a jibe at Imran Khan and his party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party PTI, the interior minister said that he was announcing measures to counter the political hatred and mischief instigated by a “so-called political party” and its leader.

Rana asked people to show restraint if they encounter any heckling or harassment by PTI supporters and instead record their videos on mobile phones and send it to Federal Investigating Agency’s (FIA) cybercrime wing via WhatsApp or social media for legal action.

“Full proceedings, including registration of cases, arrests and even blocking of their identity cards and passports, will be initiated to ensure citizens’ right to ‘Freedom of Movement’ under Article 15 of the Constitution,” said Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, who is a senior PMLN leader. “Let me make it clear that — there is absolutely no restriction on asking questions. Action will be taken if any [political] member is harassed for political point-scoring or political conflict” he added.

The warning from the minister comes days after PMLN leader and Minister for Planning and Development, Ahsan Iqbal, was booed by a family at a fast-food restaurant in Bhera city of Sargodha in Punjab. Viral videos of the incident showed women and teenagers, apparently PTI supporters, chanting antigovernment slogans and calling the minister “chor” (thief). The family later apologised and Iqbal shared a photo on Twitter of the family at his home in Narowal, saying that “disagreement should not turn into hate.”

The interior minister’s statement has drawn criticism from human rights activists and legal experts who say that such actions would trample freedom of speech, movement and assembly under the pretext of exercising the writ of the state.

Talking to Gulf News, Islamabad-based Barrister Safi Ghauri described the warning as a “narrow interpretation” of Article 15 that protects freedom of movement throughout the country unless any reasonable restriction is imposed by law.

“A reasonable restriction can only be upheld in a court based on public interest or a real threat” whereas any “unlawful or malicious interpretation of the law is likely to be struck down” by the courts, he says. “The government would only be within its rights to take severe measures against protesters if they cause damage to state or private property or threatens violence” otherwise people have the full right to protest.

Responding to the interior minister’s tweet, Reema Omer, South Asia legal adviser for the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), asked the officials to “read and understand the right to ‘Freedom of Speech’ in Article 19 of the Constitution of Pakistan before threatening lawsuits, arrests, identity card, and passport blocking.”