Punjab imposes Section 144 across province until Oct 5, seeks Rangers’ deployment

Ban will not apply to wedding ceremonies, funeral prayers, burials, mosques and other places of worship

LAHORE:

The Punjab government on Wednesday imposed Section 144 across the province for 13 days, from September 23 to October 5, banning gatherings of five or more persons in any public place, street, road, highway, motorway or open space, while also seeking Pakistan Rangers’ services for security assistance in Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum and Mianwali, according to a notification issued by the Punjab Home Department.

According to the notification, the restrictions had been imposed in view of “serious and imminent threat to public peace, tranquility, and the safety of life & property across the Province of Punjab by militant/ terrorist organizations and Hostile Intelligence Agencies (HIAs).".

Multiple threat alerts have been received from Intelligence Agencies (IAs) regarding possible terrorist activities being planned by such hostile agencies by employing suicide bombers and Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Devices (VBIEDs), the notification stated.

It further stated that assemblies of persons, rallies, gatherings, sit-ins, processions, demonstrations, and Jalsas may present potential targets for such terrorist attacks.

However, the ban will not apply to marriage ceremonies, funeral prayers, burial gatherings, and prayers in mosques and other places of worship, according to the Home Department. Courts of Law, government institutions, and events held with formal permission will also be exempt.

The law-enforcement agencies had requested immediate security measures to help address possible terrorism threats, according to the notification.

The Home Department said the Secretary Home imposed the restrictions on public gatherings under Section 144(6) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898.

The Punjab Home Department said the protection of the lives and property of citizens was the provincial government's top priority.

Punjab seeks Rangers deployment

The Punjab government has also sought the services of Pakistan Rangers for security assistance in Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum and Mianwali, with the troops to remain deployed until October 5, 2026, the Punjab Home Department said.

According to the Punjab Home Department, a letter had been sent to the Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control seeking the deployment of Rangers troops in the four districts. The request includes the deployment of three Rangers companies in Rawalpindi, five wings in Attock and one company each in Jhelum and Mianwali.

The department said the deployment had been approved at the 59th meeting of the Standing Committee of the Cabinet on Law & Order (SCCLO) of the Punjab government, held on September 20.

According to the department, the deployment will be carried out under Article 245 of the Constitution of Pakistan, Sections 4 and 5 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, and Sections 7(b) and 10 of the Pakistan Rangers Ordinance, 1959.

The Punjab Home Department said the letter to the federal Ministry of Interior was sent following a request from Punjab Police for assistance in maintaining security.

The department said the protection of the lives and property of the public was the Punjab government's top priority.

Read: 'We will turn Islamabad into Somnath,' PTI’s Junaid warns govt against use of force ahead of Sept 27 protest

The development comes after the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) announced a September 27 march on Islamabad to press for the release of Imran Khan.

The party has been preparing a central convoy from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), with caravans from other parts of the country expected to join before proceeding towards the federal capital.

On the other hand, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) launched its “Super Long March” towards Islamabad, with supporters travelling from different parts of the country by road and rail.

Yesterday, the JI chief decided to suspend its train march toward Islamabad at the request of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The party workers will stay in Multan until a formal interaction between the prime minister and the party leadership and will decide their future course of action based on those talks.

Earlier, the JI chief said people had begun travelling towards the federal capital according to the party’s strategy, while mobilisation was under way in Punjab and other parts of the country. “People have started travelling towards Islamabad through different means. Road caravans have also departed, while the process of travelling by train is also beginning,” he added.

Rehman said marches would begin from Khyber and other areas, while supporters in cities across Punjab were also being mobilised. The march was not being organised for the party or its leadership but to highlight the difficulties faced by poor and middle-class Pakistanis, whom he said were struggling because of government policies and rising petrol prices.