Punjab govt imposes Section 144 across province till Saturday; to recommend ban on TLP

The Punjab government on Thursday imposed Section 144 across the province to ban public gatherings for two days while also saying that it would recommend the Centre to ban the religiopolitical party Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) following its violent protests.

According to a statement issued by the Punjab Home Department, Section 144 was imposed across the province until Saturday, banning all kinds of protests, meetings, processions, rallies, sit-ins, and gatherings.

The development follows a large-scale pre-dawn operation by law enforcement agencies on Monday to dismantle TLP’s protest camp in Muridke, which sparked violent clashes, widespread chaos, and multiple arrests. The party had set out for what it described as a “Gaza solidarity” march, pledging to reach Islamabad and protest outside the US embassy.

As per the official figures, as many as 2,716 people have been arrested after the Muridke operation. Out of these, some 251 were taken into custody by Lahore police and 178 by Sheikhpura police. The government has also barred around 2,800 people from travelling abroad, according to Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry.

Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code is a legal provision that empowers district administrations to prohibit an assembly of four or more people in an area for a limited period.

“A complete, province-wide ban has been imposed on the display of all kinds of weapons, use of loudspeakers, and publication and distribution of inflammatory, hateful or sectarian material,” the statement said.

It added that the government had issued the orders in view of “concerns related to terrorism and public order.”

“The decision to impose Section 144 was taken to maintain law and order, protect human lives and property,” the statement added.

It, however, clarified that the ban will not apply to wedding ceremonies, funerals and burials, and loudspeakers could only be used to deliver Friday sermons and Azaan (call for prayers).

“Those present on official duties, officers and officials are exempt from the ban,” it said, adding that in view of security threats, public processions and sit-ins can be soft targets for terrorists.

Inspector General of Punjab Dr Usman Anwar held a high-level meeting to review the law and order and security situation of the province.

“From tomorrow, no one will be allowed to come on the streets under the guise of a strike and take the law into their own hands,” he said, according to a statement issued by the Punjab Police.

“Protection of lives and property of citizens, observance of law will be ensured at all costs. We will deal with miscreants and rioters with iron hands, and take strict action in case of vandalism and violence,” the statement quoted IG Anwar as saying.

He also added that if cases are registered against someone under the Anti-Terrorism Act for mischief, they will be punished with 10 to 14 years of imprisonment.

“Dozens of miscreants wanted by the Punjab Police under Section 7 of the ATA will be arrested with the help of artificial intelligence-based technology,” he said, per the statement.

The statement further said that 27,000 officers and personnel of the Punjab Police will be deployed on roads, while 12,000 personnel of the Special Branch will catch miscreants.

Meanwhile, videos and images circulating on social media claimed that mosques and seminaries belonging to the TLP were being sealed by the police.

When asked, TLP Spokesperson Usman Naushahi confirmed to Dawn.com: “The party’s mosques are being sealed and handed over to the Punjab Auqaf and Religious Affairs Department.”

Earlier in the day, the Punjab government said that it will recommend to the federal government that a ban be imposed on TLP after Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz chaired an “extraordinary meeting” on the province’s law and order situation, during which “historic decisions were made to establish the state’s writ and supremacy of the law”, a statement issued by her office said.

Without taking any names, the handout itself referred to decisions taken against an “extremist party”. However, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari confirmed to Dawn.com that the decisions made pertained to the TLP.

One of the decisions taken was that the Punjab government will “recommend the federal government to impose a ban on an extremist party”.

“The extremist party’s leadership will be placed in the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act,” the handout said. The Fourth Schedule is a list of proscribed individuals who are suspected of terrorism and/or sectarianism under the 1997 ATA.

“Individuals involved in hate speech, incitement and violation of law will be arrested immediately in Punjab,” the provincial government decided.

It was also decided that cases against “leaders and workers involved in the martyrdoms of police officers and damage to state property” will be tried in anti-terrorism courts (ATCs).

“All properties and assets of the extremist party will be handed over to the Punjab Auqaf Department. There will be a complete ban on the extremist party’s posters, banners and advertisements,” the CM Office statement added.

It further said that “all bank accounts” of the party will be frozen, and that its social media accounts “spreading hatred will be taken down”. The Punjab government also vowed “strict action on the violation of the Loudspeaker Act^[1]”.

The meeting also agreed upon a number of steps pertaining to the Afghan community residing in the province^[2]. This included bringing “Afghan citizens into the tax net” and preparing a real-time database of “illegal Afghan residents”.

“A whistleblower system will be introduced for illegal immigrants. The name of the informant will be kept completely confidential,” the CM Office statement said.

It added that the Punjab government has also decided to initiate a “combing operation against illegal residents and their businesses”. “Illegal immigrants will be immediately deported according to the federal government’s policy.”

The high-level security meeting also agreed to urgently recover illegal arms, with a “one-month ultimatum” issued by the Home Department for the owners to surrender their illegal weapons.

“Citizens should register their legal arms from a [Police] Khidmat Markaz within a month,” the handout read. The government also ordered that the stocks of arms vendors and dealers be inspected, and the issuing of licences for new ones would be completely banned.

According to the statement, the Punjab government also “recommended the federal government to regularise arms factories and manufacturers”.

The provincial administration also bolstered the punishment for those holding illegal arms to 14 years in jail, with a fine of up to Rs2 million, and made the offence non-bailable.

Today’s development follows a large-scale pre-dawn operation^[3] by law enforcement agencies on Monday to dismantle TLP’s protest camp in Muridke^[4], which sparked violent clashes, widespread chaos, and multiple arrests^[5]. The party had set out for what it described as a “Gaza solidarity” march, pledging to reach Islamabad and protest outside the US embassy.

As per the official figures, as many as 2,716 people^[6] have been arrested after the Muridke operation. Out of these, some 251 were taken into custody by Lahore police and 178 by Sheikhpura police. The government has also barred around 2,800 people^[7] from travelling abroad, according to Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry.

Even as police intensify their crackdown on the group following the events that transpired in Muridke, the authorities have decided to take a series of measures to “neutralise” the threat the TLP has posed to the law enforcers and non-Muslim communities since its inception.

The decision^[8] to put the radical outfit on a leash is being linked to some crucial meetings, where the TLP’s tainted record of violent agitations^[9], fatal attacks on the law enforcers, as well as ransacking of Christian^[10] and Ahmadiyya^[11] places of worship came under discussion.

Chaudhry, the minister of state for interior, has said^[12] action against the TLP protesters will be taken in a manner similar to that of those involved in the May 9, 2023 riots, which led to a country-wide crackdown^[13] on the PTI.

The federal government had previously imposed a ban^[14] on the TLP in April 2021 on the recommendation^[15] of the Punjab government under the ATA.

The ban was later revoked^[16] in November that year upon the request of the Punjab government, days after a deal was reached^[17] with the group to end^[18] its violent protest march^[19] to Islamabad.

Restrictions were also briefly imposed on the TLP in June 2023, when the party was carrying out a long march^[20] from Lahore to Islamabad. Restrictions lifted under an agreement^[21] reached on June 17, 2023 included a ban on the party’s coverage on electronic and social media.

Special prosecutors for cases against TLP in Lahore, Sheikhupura

Separately, the Punjab government has appointed special public prosecutors to represent the state in terrorism cases registered against TLP in the districts of Lahore and Sheikhupura.

According to an order issued by the Punjab government’s public prosecution department yesterday, seen by Dawn.com, Advocate Supreme Court Rana Shakeel Ahmed Khan and Advocate High Court Chaudhry Khalid Rasheed have been appointed as special prosecutors for all cases registered against the TLP “within the jurisdiction of Lahore and Sheikhupura districts/region”.

The appointments — notified following a letter by the Lahore deputy inspector general (DIG) legal for Punjab police chief Dr Usman Awan — were made under Section 18 of the ATA, which allows the government to appoint public prosecutors or law officers to Anti-Terrorism Courts (ATCs), a high court or the Supreme Court.

The special public prosecutors will coordinate with investigation officers, joint investigation teams for “efficient investigation, proper preparation of case files and represent the state before trial courts in all matters including remands, bails and trials etc; and Honorable Lahore High Court, Lahore (Principle Seat) in all matters, including bails, appeals, revisions, petitions for suspension of sentence, writs and other miscellaneous applications”.

Terms and conditions will be issued separately, the order stated.

Action will only be taken against TLP office holders: Naqvi

Meanwhile, addressing a press conference in Islamabad with Information Minister Attaullah Tarar Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousuf, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said negotiations were held till the last minute, but “every time they [TLP] were told to go back, their demands increased”.

The minister added that no one was subjected to violence besides those who picked weapons and fired bullets. “The police had to clear streets, which they did,” Naqvi said, commending law enforcement personnel.

“An esteemed political and religious figure also intervened [during negotiations], but they ditched them also,” Naqvi highlighted.

Peaceful protest is one’s right, Naqvi clarified, but bringing weapons and breaking cars was not allowed. He further added that besides TLP office holders, no action would be taken against any madrassa or scholar.