LAHORE: Punjab government extended Section 144 on Tuesday, banning public gatherings of five or more people across the province until October 15.
A Punjab Home Department notification covers gatherings, processions and assemblies in public places, on highways and in open spaces. It applies throughout the province.
Weddings remain outside the ban. Funeral prayers and burials are exempt, as are mosques and other places of worship.
Courts and government institutions retain their exemptions. Events held with official permission can proceed under the order. Law enforcement and security personnel carrying out official duties are exempt from the restrictions.
For other people, the notification prohibits carrying or displaying any type of weapon in public places. It separately bans encouraging or inciting participation in unlawful gatherings.
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Punjab Home Secretary Dr Ahmed Javed Qazi notified the restrictions under Section 144(6) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898. His department cited concerns about public order and the safety of citizens’ lives and property.
The extension follows an earlier province-wide order that took effect on September 23 and ran until Monday.
In its announcement, the department said protecting citizens’ lives and property remained the provincial government’s foremost priority.
