LAHORE: The government of Punjab has endorsed a decision of the Rawalpindi district administration to ban a public meeting the Pakistan People’s Party plans to hold on Friday. According to a handout issued here on Tuesday, a spokesman for the provincial government said that large public meetings were inadvisable in the present security situation and, therefore, political parties should refrain from holding public meetings and rallies.

The spokesman said the reasons cited by the district government for disallowing public meeting were absolutely correct.

He said that the section-144 had been imposed to protect the life and property of people, and any violation by any party would invite the full force of law.