LAHORE: Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz presided over a high-level law-and-order meeting on Monday upon her return from Brazil. Officials briefed her that modern weapons, thousands of rounds of ammunition, bullet-proof jackets, and other combat equipment had been recovered from the TLP hideouts, while assets worth Rs23.40 billion linked to the banned outfit had been frozen.
The Chief Minister directed law-enforcement agencies to remain on high alert to maintain peace and public safety. The meeting was informed that the Punjab government had dismantled the financial and militant networks of extremists and terrorists, blocking funding streams that previously fuelled unrest under the cover of protests.
According to the briefing, 92 bank accounts and all digital accounts — including JazzCash — associated with leaders of the banned group have been blocked. Cases have been registered against nine financiers.
It was decided that the Punjab government would request the federal government to take similar action against the banned outfit in other provinces. Maryam Nawaz Sharif also ordered that combing operations continue on a permanent basis. Officials reported that 31 cases had been registered over the sharing of content harmful to national security on social media.
The meeting was further informed that more than 61,000 forms had been distributed for the registration of mosques and prayer leaders (imams) across Punjab, and that over 50,000 imams had voluntarily registered. The Chief Minister expressed satisfaction that 82% of registrations had been completed, noting that all five major federations of religious seminaries (Wafaq-ul-Madaris) had agreed to cooperate with the registration initiative to strengthen peace.
Maryam Nawaz Sharif instructed the authorities to ensure that imams are treated with respect. “Imams lead prayers, and the government does not want them to have to beg for donations,” she stated. She reiterated that wall chalking would not be tolerated anywhere in Punjab.
Meanwhile, the provincial government directed all deputy commissioners to continue strict enforcement of the ban on wall chalking.
The meeting also took an initial decision to clarify SOPs on weapons across Punjab. In light of the recent Islamabad attack, the Chief Minister ordered enhanced surveillance, including district-level drone monitoring and drone-based oversight of harassment-related incidents.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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