Punjab recommends ban on extremist group, orders crackdown
Key Takeaways
- Recommendation to the federal government to impose a ban on an extremist organization.
- Mandate for immediate arrests of individuals involved in hate speech and incitement.
- Decision to place the extremist group's leadership on the fourth schedule and seize organizational assets.
- Implementation of strict measures regarding illegal weapons, including increased penalties and a deadline for depositing unlicensed arms.
- Plan to track, tax, and deport illegal Afghan residents, alongside a whistleblower system for reporting illegal migrants.
The Punjab government, after a high-level law and order meeting chaired by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, decided to recommend that the federal government impose a ban on a specific extremist organization due to its violent and provocative activities. Key decisions included the immediate arrest of individuals engaging in hate speech and incitement, placing the group's leadership on the fourth schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act, and seizing all organizational assets for the Auqaf Department. The government also moved to curb illegal arms by setting a one-month deadline for depositing unlicensed weapons and increasing the penalty for illegal possession to 14 years imprisonment and a fine. Additionally, Punjab will move to bring Afghan citizens under the tax net, create data on illegal residents, and launch combing operations for deportation. Strict enforcement of laws regarding public safety, social harmony, and loudspeaker usage were also emphasized during the proceedings.
