The Punjab government presented an amendment bill in the provincial assembly which would allow the imposition of Section 144 for a minimum of three months.
Punjab Minister for Finance Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman presented the Code of Criminal Procedure (Punjab Amendment) Act 2024, which seeks to amend the Code of Criminal Procedure 1898, in the Punjab Assembly on September 5.
Currently, the law allows the provincial government to impose Section 144 for a maximum of two days, extendable to seven days, unless there is a threat to human life, health, or safety.
However, the proposed amendment would empower the deputy commissioner (DC) to enforce a ban on public gatherings for up to 30 days, while the secretary of the Home Department could impose the ban for as long as 90 days.
The current law grants the power to impose Section 144 to the office of the mayor (or zila nazim), who acts on a written recommendation from the police. The amendments, however, propose transferring this authority to the deputy commissioner or the secretary of the Home Department, while removing the requirement for a police recommendation.
