Punjab extends ban on public gatherings for another week to protect peace
As-salamu alaykum. Pakistan’s Punjab province has extended a restriction on gatherings of four or more people for another seven days, until Nov. 9, aiming to keep law and order and public safety. The measure was first introduced on Oct. 8 after violent protests by followers of the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and has been renewed several times since.
Supporters of the group clashed with police while moving toward Islamabad, with reports saying five people, including two police officers, were killed and over 100 were injured. The authorities say the protests turned violent, which led to the TLP being designated a proscribed organization.
The Punjab home department’s order extends restrictions under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code across the province. It bans assemblies, processions, or sit-ins of four or more people in public spaces. Officials said they reviewed intelligence and threat reports and found the risk to public peace and order remains.
Additional limits include a ban on carrying or displaying weapons in public, whether licensed or not; restrictions on using loudspeakers or sound equipment for provocative, sectarian, or inflammatory content (except for normal calls to prayer and sermons in mosques); and prohibitions on publishing or showing material that could incite hatred or disturb interfaith and sectarian harmony.
The home department said these steps are necessary to prevent disturbances, protect lives and property, and preserve public tranquility. May Allah grant safety and ease to everyone affected.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/