LAHORE: The Punjab government on Saturday extended Section 144 for four more days to control law and order in the most populous province in the wake of the controversy surrounding the detention of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan.
The additional Home Secretary has also issued a notification in this regard. The district administration is authorized to issue orders in the public interest that may prohibit an activity for a set amount of time under the Code of Criminal Procedure’s section 144.
On May 9, Section 144 was implemented throughout the province following violent clashes between PTI and security forces that followed Khan’s arrest in the Al Qadir Trust case. As a result of Khan’s arrest, hundreds of PTI employees were detained in the province, and numerous police officers were injured.
Following nationwide rallies, the caretaker administration tightened the noose around the party, filed FIRs against miscreants, and detained more than 2,000 demonstrators.
