Section 144 in Rawalpindi until 8 November: gatherings of more than five and drones banned

Section 144 has been imposed across Rawalpindi district for 30 days, until 8 November 2026, banning gatherings of more than five people, the display of weapons and the use of drones, Dawn reported. Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner retired Captain Nadeem Nasir announced the order on Saturday 10 October.

What is banned until 8 November

• Gatherings of more than five people in public places.
• Openly displaying weapons, improvised explosives, spikes, laden batons, gulails (slingshots), ball bearings, petrol bombs or anything else that can hurt people.
• Flying drones.
• Trying to remove barriers or restrictions that police put up to control crowds and traffic.

The order covers the whole of Rawalpindi district. Dawn's report did not list exemptions for Rawalpindi. Similar orders in Punjab usually exempt weddings, funerals, mosques, courts and government offices, as Lahore's does, but check with local police before a large event.

Why now

The District Intelligence Committee warned of an "imminent threat" to sensitive installations, main roads and other infrastructure, and said certain groups were "actively mobilising" to disrupt law and order. The order comes as PTI's long march remains in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where Chief Minister Sohail Afridi says he will lead it towards Islamabad. In Islamabad, the federal government and the PPP are weighing an emergency or governor's rule in KP, which Afridi says he will not accept.

What it means if you live in Rawalpindi

• Daily life continues: shops, offices, schools and transport are not closed by Section 144 itself.
• Expect checkpoints and containers on routes towards Islamabad, especially the Murree Road, IJP Road and Faizabad, if the march moves. Leave extra time for the airport and for hospital visits.
• Tonight's T20I: Pakistan play Sri Lanka at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium at 6pm PKT. Ticket holders going to a match are not a political gathering, but expect tight security on the roads to the ground; details on our Pakistan vs Sri Lanka page.
• Drone hobbyists, photographers and wedding videographers: do not fly until 8 November.
• Mobile data: Section 144 does not itself suspend mobile service, but the authorities have cut it in the twin cities during past marches. Keep a hotspot plan or an offline map ready.

Rawalpindi is also under a rain and thunderstorm forecast today and on 13 and 14 October; see weather today and the Rawalpindi weather page.