Punjab extends ban on public gatherings

The Punjab Home Department has extended the enforcement of Section 144 across the province for a further seven days, until November 8.

Under the extended orders all protests, rallies, processions, sit-ins, and similar gatherings remain prohibited and public assemblies of four or more people are completely banned.

Under Section 144, 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 inciting, hateful, or sectarian material is also banned.

The department said the decision to extend Section 144 aims to maintain law and order and protect lives and property, amid ongoing terrorism threats and public safety concerns. Exemptions apply to weddings, funerals, burials, officials performing government duties, and courts.

It warned that public gatherings could be soft targets for terrorists, and extremists might exploit protests to pursue anti-state agendas.

Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) empowers authorities to issue orders to prohibit certain activities to prevent danger or obstruction to public life.

This includes banning public gatherings, restricting movement, or imposing curfews for a specified period to address urgent issues like public nuisance, riots, or emergencies. Violating these orders is a punishable offense, and the specific penalties and procedures can vary by jurisdiction.

Section 144 was enforced in the province on October 9 in view of a protest march organised by the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) reportedly in anticipation of an alleged change in the government policy on Palestine.

After the 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" who were on their way to Islamabad.

According to official claims, five people—including a police officer, three TLP workers, and a passerby—were killed during the operation.

The Punjab government on October 16 decided to recommend to the Centre that a complete ban be imposed on the religious party. It also decided to register cases against TLP leaders and workers involved in the death of police officers and destruction of public property under the country's ant-terrorism law.

Meanwhile, Punjab Home Department also extended the imposition of Section 144 across the entire province for another 10 days.

On October 24, the Ministry of Interior issued a notification declaring the TLP a proscribed organisation, placing it in the First Schedule under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997.

The interior ministry's notification stated that the federal government considered the TLP involved in acts of terrorism, and under Section 11B(1A) of the ATA, it was being declared banned and included in the First Schedule.