MIANWALI, FAISALABAD (National Times) The Punjab government has imposed Section 144 in several districts, including Faisalabad, Bahawalpur, Toba Tek Singh, Mianwali, Chiniot and Jhang.

All forms of political gatherings, sit-ins, rallies, protests and related activities are banned. Some cities have been sealed with containers.

Internet and mobile services have also been suspended in Mianwali and two companies of Rangers have also been deployed in Mianwali.

It is noteworthy that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has already announced a protest in Mianwali on October 2, at the directive of PTI founder Imran Khan.

Meanwhile, more than 100 PTI workers have been booked for violation of Section 144 while five were arrested.

The Punjab government has presented an amendment bill that is mandated to enforce Section 144 for three months. This law is a colonial era that is implemented to ban public gatherings.

The notification stated that Section 144 has been implemented to maintain law and order and to protect human lives and property, emphasising that public gatherings could be soft targets for terrorists due to security risks.