Section 144 imposed in Karachi for fifteen days

KARACHI: The government of Sindh on Sunday imposed Section 144 against unlawful assembly in Karachi for the next fifteen days.

The decision was made on the recommendation of Inspector General Sindh and a notification has been issued in this regard by the Home Ministry.

The law will be effective from midnight on February 20.

The law bans the assembly of more than five people in public places. All political and religious congregations in the city have been cancelled, and all permissions issued have also been revoked.

Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) empowers district administration to issue orders in public interest that may place a ban on an activity for a specific period of time.

The ban is enforced by the police who register cases under section 188 of the Pakistan Penal Code for violations of the ban which carry a maximum penalty of six months in prison or fine or both.

Law-enforcement agencies across the province are on alert after the recent wave of terror in the country including the attack at the shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in Sehwan.