Pakistan: Section 144 imposed in Karachi, Punjab

Karachi [Pakistan], October 18 : The Karachi administration has taken a significant step to maintain law and order in the city by imposing Section 144 for two days, effectively banning all gatherings and rallies, according to a report by ARY News.
The ban will be in effect on October 18 and 19, as per a notification.
In a bid to maintain law and order and ensure public safety, the Karachi administration has issued a notification imposing a ban on gatherings of five or more people, processions, and public meetings for a period of two days -- October 18-19.
Meanwhile, the Punjab government has also imposed Section 144 across the province for two days, starting from today, October 18.
According to the notification issued by the Punjab Home Department, all kinds of protests, processions, and public activities have been banned during this period. The government stated that public gatherings and rallies could become soft targets for potential terrorist attacks, prompting the implementation of the ban, ARY News reported.
The notification further mentioned that the restriction aims to maintain law and order and ensure public and property safety.
Earlier, the Karachi administration had enforced Section 144 across the city for four days, from October 13, to ensure public safety and maintain law and order during the Shanghai Organisation Cooperation Summit (SCO), that was held on October 15-16.
The Punjab Home Ministry had also imposed Section 144 in five districts of Punjab for three days. These districts--Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, Muzzafargarh, Rajanpur, and Kot Addu--witnessed a ban on all political gatherings, sit-ins, and rallies until October 15.
The provincial government, citing security concerns, issued the restriction to prevent large gatherings from becoming potential targets for miscreants. The government's focus is on ensuring public safety during the period when the risk of unrest is heightened.