People gather near an ambulance outside a hospital in Bannu. Photo: REUTERS
LAHORE:
The Punjab Home Department has extended the implementation of Section 144 across the province for another seven days until November 8.
Under the expanded orders, all protests, rallies, processions, sit-ins and similar gatherings remain prohibited and public gatherings of four or more people are completely prohibited.
Under Section 144, display of any type of weapon is strictly prohibited and loudspeakers can only be used for Azan, call to prayer and Friday sermons. The publication or distribution of inciting, hateful or sectarian material is also prohibited.
The ministry said the decision to extend Section 144 aims to maintain public order and protect lives and property, amid persistent terrorist threats and public security concerns. Exemptions apply to weddings, funerals, burials, officials performing government functions, and courts.
He warned that public gatherings could be easy targets for terrorists and that extremists could exploit protests to pursue anti-state agendas.
Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) empowers authorities to issue orders prohibiting certain activities in order to prevent danger or obstruction to public life.
This includes banning public gatherings, restricting travel, or imposing curfews for a specified period to respond to urgent issues such as public nuisance, riots, or emergencies. Violation of these orders constitutes a punishable offense, and specific sanctions and procedures may vary by jurisdiction.
Section 144 was implemented in the province on October 9 following a protest march organized by the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), apparently in anticipation of an alleged change in government policy towards Palestine.
After the violent protests in Lahore, the PML-N-led Punjab government carried out a major pre-dawn operation in Muridke on October 13 to disperse what officials described as “armed and violent crowds” heading towards Islamabad.
According to official statements, five people, including a police officer, three TLP employees and a passerby, were killed during the operation.
The Punjab government on October 16 decided to recommend to the Center a complete ban on the religious party. He 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 Department has also extended the implementation of Section 144 across the province by 10 days.
On October 24, the Ministry of Interior issued a notification declaring the TLP a banned organization, placing it in the First Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997.
The Home Office notification stated that the Federal Government considered the TLP involved in acts of terrorism and under section 11B(1A) of the ATA, it was declared prohibited and included in the First Schedule.
