Punjab government to declare Mall Road red zone

Lahore: The Punjab government on Tuesday presented the draft of a bill for legislation to declare The Mall a red zone. 

A provincial law officer appeared before the court of Justice Jawad Hassan and stated that the bill would be tabled before Punjab assembly after holding public hearings on it and it would become a law in one month.

After going through the draft of the bill, the court disposed of the petition. The law officer pointed out that punishment up to five years imprisonment and fine up to one million rupees has been suggested in the bill on violation. 

Advocate Azhar Siddique had questioned the failure of the government to make legislation to declare The Mall a red zone despite a ban imposed on holding protests and sit-ins on the place. 

Under the proposed law, the Punjab government would be empowered to declare a specific area as red zone and public gatherings, rallies and sit-ins would be banned.