The order also imposes a complete ban on display of weapons and limits the use of loudspeakers except during Azaan and Friday sermons.
The Punjab Home Department has announced a seven-day extension in the province-wide implementation of Section 144 a day after the provincial cabinet sent a summary to the federal government seeking a formal ban on Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan.
The decision taken during the 38th meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Law and Order extended the restrictions that were first imposed on October 8. The government cited growing security threats and terrorism concerns as the main reasons for the extension, warning that large gatherings could become “easy targets” for hostile elements.
According to an official notification, all forms of protests, rallies, sit-ins, public meetings, processions and demonstrations are strictly prohibited throughout Punjab. Under article 144, the assembly of four or more people in public places is prohibited.
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The order also imposes a complete ban on the display of weapons and limits the use of loudspeakers except for the call to prayer (Azaan) and Friday sermons. Similarly, the publication and distribution of inflammatory, hateful or sectarian material has been prohibited.
Officials said the restrictions were aimed at maintaining public order and preventing anti-state elements from creating unrest. However, weddings, funerals and official duties of government officials and courts have been exempt from the ban.
The Department of the Interior confirmed that the order will remain in force until Friday, October 24, and ordered authorities to ensure public awareness of the ban.
The decision came a day after the Punjab cabinet approved the proposal to outlaw the TLP and sent the case to the federal government for implementation.
At a news conference in Lahore, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari said the government had decided to deal firmly with the group. “Using the name of religion, they built properties worth millions of rupees. Petrol pumps, luxury watches and huge amounts of money have been recovered from them,” he said.
Read: Auqaf takes control of TLP-linked mosques
Sharing details of the recent violence, Bokhari added that 200 police officers were injured, 17 vehicles were damaged and two were completely destroyed. “An inspector was martyred, an officer was shot in the arm and another in the throat; he will never be able to speak again,” he said.
Earlier, the Punjab government and the Islamabad administration launched a province-wide offensive against the TLP, sealing several of its offices, mosques and seminaries amid heightened tensions ahead of the group’s planned protests.
Officials said the coordinated operation was aimed at curbing riot-provoking activities and preventing the misuse of religious platforms to incite violence and chaos.
