People gather near an ambulance outside a hospital in Bannu. Photo: REUTERS
LAHORE:
The Punjab Home Ministry has extended the enforcement of Section 144 across the province for another seven days, till November 8.
According to the extended orders, all protests, rallies, processions, sit-ins and similar gatherings remain prohibited, and public gatherings of four or more people are completely banned.
According to Section 144, the display of any kind of weapon is strictly prohibited and loudspeakers can only be used for Azan – the call to prayer and Friday sermons. Publication or distribution of inciting, hateful or sectarian material is also prohibited.
The department said the decision to extend Section 144 is aimed at maintaining law and order and protecting life and property, amid ongoing terror threats and public safety concerns. Exceptions apply to weddings, funerals, funerals, officials performing public duties, and courts.
It warned that public gatherings can be soft targets for terrorists and extremists can exploit protests to pursue anti-government agendas.
Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) empowers authorities to issue orders prohibiting certain activities to prevent danger or obstruction to public life.
This includes banning public gatherings, restricting movement or imposing curfews for a specified period to address pressing issues such as public nuisance, riots or emergencies. Violation of these orders is a criminal offense and the specific penalties and procedures may vary by jurisdiction.
Section 144 was enforced in the province on 9 October in the face of a protest march organized by Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), allegedly in anticipation of an alleged change in government policy towards Palestine.
Following the violent protests in Lahore, the PML-N government in Punjab carried out a major pre-dawn operation in Muridke on 13 October to disperse what officials described as “armed and violent mobs” heading to Islamabad.
According to official claims, five people – including a police officer, three TLP workers and a passerby – were killed during the operation.
The Punjab government on October 16 decided to recommend the Center to impose a complete ban on the religious party. It also decided to register cases against TLP leaders and workers involved in the death of police officers and destruction of public property under the country’s anti-terrorism law.
Meanwhile, the Punjab Home Ministry also extended the imposition of Section 144 across the province by another 10 days.
On October 24, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a notification declaring the TLP a proscribed organization and placing it in the First Schedule under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997.
The Home Office notice stated that the federal government considered TLP to be involved in acts of terrorism and under Section 11B(1A) of the ATA it was declared prohibited and included in the First Schedule.
