Muharram: Govt approves deployment of army across Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Amid security concerns during Muharram, the federal government has requisitioned the services of the Pakistan Army and the Civil Armed Forces (CAF) across the country during the holy month.

In a notification issued by the interior ministry, the government announced that the military will be deployed across all provinces to maintain law and order during Muharram.

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

The notification further added: "The date of de-requisitioning of said deployment will be decided subsequently adter mutual consultation among all stakeholders."

Provincial governments, such as Punjab, have urged the federal government to temporarily halt social media platforms for a week to prevent the dissemination of hate speech online.

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.