PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government plans to impose Section 144 and enforce strict restrictions on weapons display and sectarian activities in all the sensitive districts from Muharram 1 to 10.

Officials from the home and tribal affairs department on Monday said entry of religious speakers and clerics from Punjab, Islamabad and Sindh into various regions of the province would also be restricted.

They said a list of banned individuals would be released in the coming days. “Some individuals from within the province may also be restricted from travelling outside during this period.”

Furthermore, construction of temporary structures or posts on rooftops along the routes of religious processions, as well as provocative slogans, would be banned until the conclusion of Ashura, the officials said, adding a ban on pillion-riding would be enforced in urban areas, along with a prohibition on displaying any kind of weapons or provocative material in public places.

Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2025