Punjab imposes Section 144 for ten days

Five-person gatherings banned amid terrorism threats

LAHORE:

The Punjab government imposed Section 144 across the province for 10 days on Tuesday, banning gatherings of five or more people amid what it called a "serious and imminent threat" to public peace and the safety of life and property.

The decision came a day after PTI long march reached Kohat. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi is leading the convoy, which began its march towards Islamabad on Sunday to demand the release of party founder Imran Khan and press the government over what PTI describes as broader political and constitutional grievances.

According to the notification, the restrictions were imposed under Section 144(6) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, through an order issued by the Punjab Home Department.

The order said, "Credible reports from LEAs and IAs indicate a serious and imminent threat to public peace, tranquillity, and the safety of life & property across the province of Punjab by militant/terrorist organisations and Hostile Intelligence Agencies (HIAs)."

It said multiple threat alerts had been received about possible terrorist activities involving suicide bombers, vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs) and target killings during large public gatherings across Punjab.

Such attacks could be used "to create mayhem, social unrest and disrupt public peace & tranquillity", the order said.

It said assemblies, rallies, gatherings, sit-ins, processions, demonstrations and jalsas could present "potential targets for such terrorist attacks", adding that the possibility of an act of terrorism during such activities could not be ruled out.

The order also said there was a "strong apprehension" that certain elements could organise activities, gatherings or demonstrations that might lead to assemblies of people and provide "easy targets for any hostile activity".