Punjab Extends Section 144 for Seven Days Amid Security Concerns

By Our Staff Reporter Farzana Chaudhry
Lahore — The Punjab Home Department has extended the enforcement of Section 144 across the province for another seven days, keeping the restrictions in place until Saturday, November 8, to maintain law and order.

According to an official notification, all forms of protests, gatherings, rallies, processions, and sit-ins will remain banned throughout Punjab. The order also prohibits the assembly of four or more people in public places under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

The notification further states that there will be a complete ban on the display of weapons, and the use of loudspeakers will only be permitted for the call to prayer and Friday sermons. The publication and distribution of inflammatory, hate-based, or sectarian material has also been strictly prohibited.

Officials said the decision was taken to protect lives and property and to prevent any law and order situation. The restrictions, however, will not apply to wedding ceremonies, funerals, or official duties, and court proceedings are exempted from the ban.

Citing security threats, the Punjab Home Department warned that public processions and demonstrations could become soft targets for terrorists and that miscreants could exploit such gatherings to incite unrest or carry out anti-state activities.

The department has directed that the notification be widely publicized for public awareness across the province.