Section 144: police arrest 1,017 violators in 10 days

Action is being taken against face mask, sanitiser hoarders

LAHORE: Since the imposition of Section 144 on March 16, the Punjab Police claim to have registered 2,454 cases against 4,890 lawbreakers under the provision imposed to help cope with the coronavirus outbreak.

Police also claimed to have arrested 1,017 people during the period, whereas 89 were released after warning.

The Punjab Police also claimed to have registered 88 cases against hoarders. On charges of hoarding, 86 accused were sent behind the bars.

Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Shoaib Dastagir said during a meeting that the force was implementing Section 144 in order to prevent the coronavirus pandemic from spreading so that the lives of citizens could be saved.



Police teams, under the supervision of DPOs, are running special awareness campaign against this virus and steps are being taken with the coordination of health department and other government institutions. The hoarders of face masks and sanitisers were sent behind bars.

He directed to the police officers and unit chiefs that they should supervise the actions taken against the violators of Section 144 and progress report should be submitted to central police office on daily basis.

He further said that action shall be taken against those persons who don't follow the instructions of the government. “Officers deputed in field on security duty should be on high alert also to ensure the strict implementation of instructions issued in the wake of the pandemic so that they may also keep themselves safe,” he said.

He directed the district police chiefs that the field security officers and staff should be provided face masks and sanitisers along with other equipment. “If more resources are required in this regard, the Central Police Office should be contacted at once.”

On the other hand, Lahore Police Operations Wing established as many as 103 special pickets in different areas of the city on Wednesday to stop people from unnecessary movement.

As many as 11,438 citizens have been checked at these pickets and more than 2,647 were asked to confine themselves to homes during the lockdown in the city.

DIG Operations Rai Babar Saeed said that as many as 156 FIRs were registered against people on violation of Section 144.

The accused persons nominated in FIRs for violation of Section 144 were release after taking warranty bonds not to travel again in city unnecessarily.

As many as 2,910 motorcycles, cars, rickshaws and bigger vehicles were contained from movement in the city. As many as 32 accused have been arrested and 36 FIRs registered in respective police stations on account of sale of face mask and sanitisers at high prices to prohibit hoarding and profiteering.

Meanwhile, Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Zulfiqar Hameed has said that notices will be served under the police order to the violators of lockdown. On Wednesday he visited various police check points for better implementation of restriction impose by the government in the wake of coronavirus pandemic. He issued necessary instructions to make the lockdown more effective.



The CCPO inspected the checkpoints on Mall Road, Canal Road, Thokar Niaz Baig and Bhubhutian Chowk. He said the police must wear masks and gloves while on duty.

“Every passerby should be asked why he came out of his house.” He further directed the officers that to protect themselves against the coronavirus unnecessary visits outside offices must be discouraged. “Citizens also have a social obligation to enforce restrictions voluntarily in the larger interest of society,” he said.

Hameed said exits were allowed only in an emergency. “Action will be taken if someone does not take the instructions seriously,” he warned. The Lahore police chief expressed concern that many people were using their cars as taxis, which carried the risk of spreading the virus. “This practice should be avoided,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 26^th, 2020.