PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Home Department has imposed Section 144 in 13 districts of the province in connection with the observance of Chehlum of Imam Hussain (AS) to maintain law and order, said a notification issued here on Monday.

According to it, the districts where Section 144 will remain in force include Kohat, Hangu, Bannu, Tank, Dera Ismail Khan, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Haripur, Nowshera, Kurram, Mardan, and Lakki Marwat. The order will remain effective for one week.

Under Section 144, pillion-riding, wall chalking, and hate speeches have been banned, along with gatherings of five or more people in the mentioned districts.

The notification further prohibits the display of weapons, firing in the air, use of black-tinted windows, loudspeakers, fireworks, and dissemination of objectionable material.

Authorities have also barred people from standing on rooftops along procession routes, restricted the public movement of Afghan nationals, and limited the entry of outsiders into these districts during the enforcement period.

The home department stated that these measures have been taken as part of enhanced security arrangements to ensure the peaceful and secure observance of Chehlum.

Published in Dawn, August 12th, 2025