Special courts will conduct summary trials for protest-related cases, with verdicts due within 30 days
RAWALPINDI:
Ahead of the nationwide Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Ain Pakistan (TTAP) strike and protests scheduled for February 8, the Punjab government has established a Riot Management Unit under Section 31A of the Police Ordinance.
The newly formed unit will be tasked with handling riots and illegal gatherings across the province. Operating under the supervision of the Provincial Police Officer (PPO), it will be equipped with modern crowd control tools, including water cannons, rubber bullets, tear gas shells, specialized vehicles and armored personnel carriers.
Meanwhile, special courts will hold summary trials for protest-related cases, with verdicts to be delivered within 30 days. Under the newly approved framework, protesters, organizers and facilitators will be held equally responsible for any unrest. Cases arising from protests will be judged using summary procedures, with strict penalties provided for violators.
The amendments to the Punjab Police Ordinance make protest organizers, local facilitators and participants collectively responsible for any disturbance, vandalism or loss of life or property. To further strengthen law enforcement, special anti-riot committees comprising deputy commissioners and regional police officers were established.
The government also approved the creation of anti-riot zones in districts and tehsils, especially along the roads from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to Adiala Jail and from Lahore to Adiala Jail. Zoning of zones has already begun, with each zone to be headed by an officer of the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) or Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP).
Under the amended law, arrested protesters face up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a fine of 500,000 rupees and compensation for property damage. The compensation will be recovered through the sale of the movable and immovable property of the convicted persons.
Those accused of facilitating the protests, whether or not they were present at the scene, face up to three years in prison and a fine of 100,000 rupees. Surveillance measures, including the installation of CCTV cameras along protest routes and the use of drones to identify participants, will also be implemented.
All protest locations will be declared riot zones and the amended law will be fully enforced to curb unrest.
