The Islamabad administration has issued a sweeping set of restrictions aimed at maintaining public order and preventing sectarian tensions, placing a two-month ban on a wide range of activities across the federal capital.
According to multiple notifications signed by Additional District Magistrate Sahibzada Muhammad Yousaf, the use of loudspeakers, amplifiers, and sound systems is now prohibited citywide, with exemptions limited only to Azan and Friday sermons.
The directives also restrict the use of cassette players, CD/DVD systems, and any medium that could be used to promote sectarian or inflammatory content. Authorities further instructed that newspapers or papers carrying Quranic verses must not be used for packaging or wrapping.
In another notice, the administration outlawed the sale, stock, purchase, and use of fireworks, along with a ban on displaying or carrying firearms. Only personnel from the armed forces, Rangers, police, and paramilitary units are exempt from the firearms restriction.
Additional orders bar all boating activities at Rawal and Simly dams, prohibit unsafe or illegal petrol storage, and restrict the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and stone-crushing or blasting in the capital.
The distribution of handbills, pamphlets, posters, or materials aimed at provoking religious discord has also been blocked.
The administration further imposed a ban on gatherings of five or more people, including demonstrations and processions, within Islamabad’s revenue limits.
To support anti-dengue measures, authorities have also prohibited the accumulation of fresh water in scrapyards, buildings, and public facilities, and restricted unauthorized tyre storage or display, which can contribute to mosquito breeding.
All restrictions will remain in effect for two months, according to the district administration.
