Punjab Information of Temporary Residents Ordinance

Rawalpindi: Special Duty Magistrate (Rawalpindi) Zulqarnain Ahmed has sent 29 citizens to the Adiala Jail on a 14-day judicial remand on violation of Punjab Information of Temporary Residents Ordinance 2015. The court ordered police to produce the violators again on April 6.
During search operations, Ratta Amral, New Town and Sadiqabad police stations arrested 29 citizens for violating the law. However, the local management and police have so far failed to start an ‘awareness campaign’ about Punjab Information of Temporary Residents Ordinance 2015.
On March 18, City Police Officer (CPO) official spokesman Imran Shah, in a statement to ‘The News,’ said that an ‘awareness campaign’ will be launched through media, cable and placards on March 19 about the law. He said that announcements will also be made through mosques, but so far no concrete step has been taken.
From March 1 till date, different police stations have registered a total of 205 FIRs under Punjab Information of Temporary Residents Ordinance 2015, and arrested over 400 citizens. In past 23 days, different police stations in the city and cantonment brought over 400 violators before judicial magistrates at the Rawalpindi District Courts. The judicial magistrates sent them to the Adiala Jail on violation of the ordinance. On the other hand, a large number of citizens said that it was the duty of concerned authorities, particularly local management and police, to start an ‘awareness campaign’ on Punjab Information of Temporary Residents Ordinance 2015 before its implementation in the city.
The Punjab Information of Temporary Residents Ordinance 2015 was introduced on January 9, 2015. The Punjab government had given relaxation to owners of houses to submit necessary documents related to tenants in nearby police stations till February 28, 2015 to avoid terrorism activities. But, local management and police did not start any kind of ‘awareness campaign’ during this timeframe for public. Police is continuously registering FIRs under Sections 8, 9 and 10.