Elections 2024: Section 144 imposed across Punjab

LAHORE: The Punjab Home Department enforced Section 144 across the province on Tuesday ahead of general elections 2024, citing ‘threats to law and order situation and public peace”, ARY News reported.

According to a notification, the Punjab Home Department pointed out that a large number of public gatherings, rallies, corner meetings – related to upcoming general elections – may “serve as soft targets for any desperate act by terrorists and miscreants”.

“Besides, given the past history, possibility of clashes between contesting candidates and rival political parties/ groups in different areas, cannot be ruled out, which may pose threats to public peace and order in the province,” read the notification.

It further stated that the ensuing security milieu demands “extraordinary vigilance and extensive security measures to pre-empt any toward incident”.

Citing such threats, the Home Department enforced Section 144 till Feb 12 and prohibit the following actions across Punjab:

• Carrying and display of all kinds of weapons including the licensed ones.
• All types of firing.
• Violation of any clause of Code of Conduct issued by ECP

Earlier in the day, public rallies and corner meetings ahead of elections 2024 were banned in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tank district amid law and order situation.

Deputy commissioner Tank has slapped Section 144 to ban public rallies and corner meetings of the political parties due to law and order concerns.

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The political parties have been directed to obtain prior permission from the district administration so that the security of the public gathering can be ensured.

The ban will remain enforced for 21 days, the notification issued by the Tank DC read.