Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari said on Thursday that armed groups and religious militancy would not be allowed to challenge the writ of the state and that the federal government would decide the future of the extremist organisation Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP). Addressing a press conference in Lahore on Thursday, Bokhari said that no one would be allowed to disturb the peace of Punjab and that the provincial government would take every possible step to protect law and order.

She said that all shops of arms dealers operating without valid licences had been sealed and that the licences of twenty-eight arms dealers had been cancelled. She added that a province-wide operation was underway against illegal arms suppliers. The minister revealed that more than 1,012,000 individuals in Punjab currently hold personal firearm licences, while over 37,000 licences belong to private security companies and more than 42,000 have been issued to various institutions.

She questioned how peace could be ensured in a province with such a large number of weapons. She announced that all those possessing legal firearms must register them at government service centres, while anyone found in possession of illegal arms must surrender them immediately. Bokhari explained that in 2021, a religious party [TLP] had stolen weapons from the police, and those same stolen arms were again used by TLP during the recent clashes, along with additional stolen equipment.

The minister said that the federal government would determine the fate of the extremist organisation today in the federal cabinet meeting. She declared that no rioter would ever again be garlanded and sent home. She added that some groups had misused the name of Islam to commit injustices against non-Muslims. Bokhari said that under the directives of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, a prosecution cell had been established to assess damages caused during the recent clashes, including the number of injured and the extent of police equipment stolen.

She said a zero-tolerance policy had also been adopted against those spreading unrest or hate on social media. She warned that no violation of the Loudspeaker Act would be tolerated, clarifying that loudspeakers could only be used for Friday sermons and the call to prayer. The minister urged citizens to call helpline 15 if they had any information regarding illegal individuals or extremist religious groups. She assured that terrorism charges would be filed against such elements, but the identity of informants would remain confidential.

She said that all provocative and hate-inciting posters and banners would be removed across the province. Speaking about illegal Afghan nationals, Bokhari said that Afghan citizens and other undocumented foreigners would soon be sent back to their countries. She added that the Punjab government was collecting information about illegal residents running businesses within the province.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)