Punjab to act under PECA, ATA against those inciting violence, chaos

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting on law and order during which the provincial government decided to tighten its crackdown on elements spreading unrest in the name of protest, ARY News reported.

According to reports, the Maryam Nawaz-led meeting resolved that the state’s authority would be upheld at all costs and that those challenging it would be dealt with “an iron hand.” Officials clarified that the state’s target is not any religious group or belief, but those responsible for sowing chaos and violence.

The government also decided that individuals misusing pulpits or seminaries to incite hatred will face terrorism charges, while those violating loudspeaker laws will be dealt with immediately. “Action will only be taken against those with a history of disturbing public peace,” the Punjab government said in a statement.

It was further decided that Section 144 remains in effect across Punjab, and any violation — including forced business closures, transport shutdowns, or violent demonstrations will result in cases being registered under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).

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The meeting, chaired by Maryam Nawaz also reviewed reports of inflammatory social media campaigns and decided that those spreading fake news, hatred, or incitement online will be booked under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).

Officials cited the example of a fabricated narrative about “400 bodies” shared from the PTI founder’s former X (Twitter) account, confirming that legal action under PECA would follow.

The Maryam Nawaz-led provincial government further directed all institutions to adopt a zero-tolerance policy toward extremism, hate speech, and any activities that disturb public peace. Immediate powers were granted to relevant departments to take swift action against extremist groups, their facilitators, and supporters.

The Punjab government reaffirmed that its ongoing operations aim solely to protect peace and stability — not to target any religion or sect, but to curb fitna (discord) and violence threatening the state.