People gather near an ambulance in front of a hospital in Bannu. Photo: REUTERS
LAHORE:
The Punjab Home Department has extended the province-wide enforcement of Section 144 for seven more days, till 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.
According to Section 144, the display of any type of weapon is strictly prohibited and loudspeakers can only be used for Azan, the call to prayer and Friday sermons. The publication or distribution of 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 lives and property, amid continued terrorist threats and public safety 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 take advantage of protests to pursue anti-state agendas.
Article 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure empowers authorities to issue orders to prohibit certain activities in order to avoid danger or obstruction to public life.
This includes prohibiting public gatherings, restricting movement or imposing curfews for a specific period to address urgent issues such as public nuisance, riots or emergencies. Violation of these orders is a punishable offense and specific penalties and procedures may vary by jurisdiction.
Section 144 was implemented in the province on October 9 in view of a protest march organized by Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), supposedly in anticipation of an alleged change in government policy on Palestine.
Following violent protests in Lahore, the PML-N-led Punjab government on October 13 carried out a major pre-dawn operation in Muridke to disperse what officials described as “armed and violent mobs” heading towards Islamabad.
According to official claims, five people, including a police officer, three TLP workers and a bystander, were killed during the operation.
On October 16, the Punjab government decided to recommend to the Center that a complete ban be imposed on the religious party. It also decided to register cases against TLP leaders and workers involved in the killing of police officers and destruction of public property under the country’s anti-terrorism law.
Meanwhile, the Punjab Home Department also extended the imposition of Section 144 across the province for another 10 days.
On October 24, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a notification declaring the TLP a proscribed organisation, placing it under the First Schedule under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997.
The Home Office notification said that the federal government considered that the TLP was involved in acts of terrorism and, under Section 11B (1A) of the ATA, was being declared prohibited and included in the First Schedule.
