LAHORE: The Punjab government on Wednesday imposed an “immediate and complete” ban on flying drones outdoors across the province for the next 30 days, citing risk to public safety.
As per a notification issued by the Punjab home department, a complete ban on the outdoor drone flying has been imposed under Section 144 (6) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPc), 1898, which is to remain in force “for a period of 30 days from the date of issuance or until withdrawn earlier.”
However, the notification says that the ban did not apply to “use of small drones for coverage of indoor activities, such as in halls or marquees.” It adds that the ban was also not applicable to “drones used by intelligence and law enforcement agencies.”
The home department notes that “credible reports and prevailing circumstances indicate that the increasing and unregulated use of drones (unmanned aerial vehicles) within the territorial limits of Punjab poses potential risks to public safety, security of public and private property and the maintenance of public order.”
It reads that drone activity “may [also] cause obstruction to official duties, create law and order concerns, and disturb the peaceful atmosphere of the province.”
It terms the ban “essential” to ensure the “security of the people and installations/buildings against any potential threat or untoward activity, in the larger interest of public safety, security, peace and tranquility, and to avoid any untoward incident.”
It is worth mentioning that a day earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz approved the launch of an anti-drone unit in Punjab to combat any terrorist attack, besides directing the installation of the latest digital scanners at the province’s entry and exit points.
Published in Dawn, February 26th, 2026
