ISLAMABAD (National Times) The federal government has approved the deployment of the Pakistan Army and Civil Armed Forces (CAF) across the country as a security measure during Muharram.

According to a notification issued by the interior ministry, the government has sought the deployment of the military to maintain law and order during the month, which began on Sunday.

The notification states that the details of troop deployment, which will be enforced for an indefinite period, will be finalised with the authorities concerned, including the government of Gilgit Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Islamabad.

Additionally, the notification stated: “The date of de-requisitioning of said deployment will be decided subsequently after mutual consultation among all stakeholders.”

It is pertinent to know that provincial governments, including Punjab, have requested the federal government to suspend social media platforms for one week to curb the spread of hate material on the internet.

In a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Cabinet on Law and Order, as per the letter of the provincial home department, the government has decided to suspend social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, YouTube, TikTok and Instagram from 6 to 11 Muharram.

However, the federal government has not yet taken any decision to suspend internet services during Muharram, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior said a day earlier.