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  "title": "PUNJAB HIGH SECURITY ZONES (ESTABLISHMENT) ACT 2026",
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  "source_url": "https://punjabcode.punjab.gov.pk/en/show_article/VWUCNlFmVWwFZw--",
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  "text": "THE PUNJAB HIGH SECURITY ZONES (ESTABLISHMENT) \r\nACT 2026 \r\n(XLI of 2026) \r\nCONTENTS \r\n1. Short title, extent and commencement \r\n2. Definitions \r\n3. Provincial and District Intelligence Committees \r\n4. Declaration of high security zones \r\n5. Declaration of designated areas \r\n6. Permission \r\n7. Appeal \r\n8. Revision \r\n9. Power of seizure \r\n10. Punishment \r\n11. Cognizable and non-bailable \r\n12. Confiscation \r\n13. Indemnity \r\n14. Power to make rules \r\n15. Power to issue guidelines \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n2 \r\n \r\nTEXT \r\n1\r\nTHE PUNJAB HIGH SECURITY ZONES (ESTABLISHMENT) ACT 2026 \r\n(XLI of 2026) \r\n[14 May 2026] \r\nAn \r\nAct \r\nto provide for declaring of high security zones and designated areas to regulate \r\npublic gatherings and prohibiting of activities prejudicial to safety and security of \r\ngeneral public in the Punjab. \r\nIt is necessary to provide for declaring of high security zones and designated areas \r\nto regulate public gatherings and prohibiting of activities prejudicial to safety and \r\nsecurity of general public in the Punjab, and to provide for the matters ancillary \r\nthereto and connected therewith.  \r\nIt is hereby enacted by Provincial Assembly of the Punjab as follows: \r\n1. Short title, extent and commencement .– (1) This Act may be cited as the \r\nPunjab High Security Zones (Establishment) Act 2026.  \r\n(2) It extends to whole of the Punjab.  \r\n(3) It shall come into force at once.  \r\n2. Definitions.– In the Act: \r\n(a) “Act” means the Punjab High Security Zones (Establishment) Act 2026;  \r\n(b) “Department” means Home Department of the Government;  \r\n(c) “designated area” means an area as such designated under section 5 \r\nof the Act;  \r\n(d) “District Intelligence Committee” means the District Intelligence \r\nCommittee as provided under section 3 of the Act;  \r\n(e) “Government” means Government of the Punjab; \r\n(f) “guidelines” means the guidelines issued under the Act;   \r\n(g) “high security zone” means an area of a district as such notified under \r\nsection 4 of the Act;  \r\n(h) “non-designated area” means any area other than the high security \r\nzone and designated area; \r\n(i) “person” means a person or a group of persons, both natural and legal, \r\nand includes political parties, religious parties, unions and associations;  \r\n(j) “prescribed” means prescribed by the rules or the guidelines made or \r\nissued under the Act;  \r\n                                    \r\n1This Act was passed by Provincial Assembly of the Punjab on 07 May 2026; and was assented to by Governor of the Punjab \r\non 14 May 2026; and was published in the Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary), dated: 14 May 2026, pp. 6093-6095. \r\n3 \r\n \r\n(k) “Provincial Intelligence Committee” means  the Provincial Intelligence \r\nCommittee as provided under section 3 of the Act;  \r\n(l) “public gathering” means public rallies, sit -ins, protests, political \r\ngatherings or any activity relating to demonstrations for any purpose; \r\n(m) “rules” means the rules made under the Act; and \r\n(n) \"Secretary\" means Secretary to the Government, Home Department. \r\n3. Provincial and District Intelligence Committees .– (1) There shall be a \r\nProvincial Intelligence Committee to be headed by the Secretary and have such \r\nmembers as may be determined by the Government and notified in the official \r\nGazette.  \r\n(2) There shall be a District Intelligence Committee, in each district,  to be \r\nheaded by the Deputy Commissioner and have such members as may be notified by \r\nthe Department.  \r\n4. Declaration of high security zones .– (1) The Secretary may, on the \r\nrecommendations of the concerned District Intelligence Committee as ratified by the \r\nProvincial Intelligence Committee, by notification in the official Gazette, declare an \r\narea of a district as a high security zone.  \r\n(2) The Secretary may, on the recommendations of the Provincial \r\nIntelligence Committee, revoke such notification at any time.  \r\n(3) No person shall hold public gathering in a high security zone. \r\n5. Declaration of designated areas .– (1) The Secretary may, on the \r\nrecommendations of the concerned District Intelligence Committee as ratified by the \r\nProvincial Intelligence Committee, by notification in the official Gazette, declare \r\ndesignated areas of a district where public gathering may be carried out subject to \r\nsuch conditions as may be notified.  \r\n(2) The Secretary may, on the recommendations of the Provincial \r\nIntelligence Committee, revoke such notification at any time.  \r\n(3) No person shall hold public gathering at a designated area except with \r\nprior permission under the Act.  \r\n6. Permission.– (1) Any person who intends to hold a public gathering at the \r\ndesignated area shall submit a  written application to the concerned Deputy \r\nCommissioner, at least twenty days prior to holding of such public gathering: \r\nProvided that in case of urgency or special circumstances, the Deputy \r\nCommissioner may dispense with  the condition of at least twent y days prior \r\napplication. \r\n(2) The concerned Deputy Commissioner, within five days of the receipt of \r\nthe application under sub-section (1), may:  \r\n(a) accept the application and grant permission for gathering in the \r\ndesignated area on such terms and conditions a s he may deem \r\nappropriate; or  \r\n4 \r\n \r\n(b) reject the application through a written order after affording an \r\nopportunity of hearing to the applicant; or   \r\n(c) place the application before the District Intelligence Committee which \r\nshall decide such application within three days. \r\n(3) In case, District Intelligence Committee recommends to grant \r\npermission for the public gathering, the Deputy Commissioner shall, in the \r\ndesignated area, on such terms and conditions as he may deem appropriate, allow \r\nfor such gathering. \r\n7. Appeal.– (1) Any person aggrieved by an order passed by a Deputy \r\nCommissioner under the Act, may, within two days from the passing of the order, \r\nprefer an appeal to the concerned Divisional Commissioner.   \r\n(2) The Divisional Commissioner shall, after affording a n opportunity of \r\npersonal hearing to the appellant and the representative of the Deputy \r\nCommissioner, pass such order as he may deem necessary.  \r\n(3) The Divisional Commissioner shall dispose of the appeal as soon as \r\nmay be but not later than five days from  its submission and shall immediately \r\ncommunicate the decision to the appellant and the Deputy Commissioner \r\nconcerned.   \r\n8. Revision.– (1) Any person against whom an order has been passed by a \r\nDivisional Commissioner under the Act may file a revision petit ion before the \r\nSecretary within three days from the passing of such order by the Divisional \r\nCommissioner.  \r\n(2) The Secretary or an officer authorized by him in this behalf, shall \r\ndecide the revision petition through a written order within five days of its filing.  \r\n9. Power of seizure .– The head of District Police may authorize a police officer \r\nnot below a Station House Officer to seize any material or equipment including \r\nvehicles, chairs, carpets, sound system, stage, rostrum, banners and such other \r\nmaterial used or reasonably suspected to have been used in contravention of the \r\nprovisions of the Act.  \r\n10. Punishment.– (1) Whoever holds or attempts to hold or abets or facilitates in \r\nholding of, or participates in public gathering in a high security zone, shall be liable to \r\npunishment with rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than one \r\nyear and not more than three years and shall also be liable to fine  which may extend \r\nto rupees five hundred thousand.  \r\n(2) Whoever holds or attempts to hold or  abets or facilitates in holding of, \r\nor participates in public gathering in a non -designated area, shall be liable to \r\npunishment with simple imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than six \r\nmonths and not more than one year and shall also be liable to fine which may extend \r\nto rupees three hundred thousand.  \r\n(3) Whoever holds or attempts to hold or abets or facilitates in holding of, \r\nor participates in public gathering in designated area without permission of Deputy \r\nCommissioner concerned, shall be l iable to fine which may extend to rupees one \r\nhundred thousand.  \r\n5 \r\n \r\n(4) Whoever causes loss to public or private property during the holding of \r\nor attempts to hold or abets or facilitates in holding of, or participates in public \r\ngathering in a designated area with or without permission of Deputy Commissioner \r\nconcerned or in a non-designated area or in a high security zone, shall also be liable \r\nto pay fine equal to the loss caused, in addition to the penalty provided under the \r\nforegoing subsections.  \r\n11. Cognizable and non-bailable.– An offence under the Act shall be cognizable, \r\nnon-bailable and tried under the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 (V of 1898). \r\n12. Confiscation.– A court trying an offence under the Act may pass any order \r\nwith regard to any material or equipment used in the commission of an offence under \r\nthe Act, including confiscation of such material or equipment.  \r\n13. Indemnity.– No suit, prosecution or other legal proceedings shall lie against \r\nany person for anything which is done or intended to be done in good faith in \r\npursuance of the Act or any rule or guideline made or issued thereunder.  \r\n14. Power to make rules .– The Governm ent may, by notification in the official \r\nGazette, make rules to give effect to the provisions of the Act.  \r\n15. Power to issue guidelines .– Subject to the provisions of the Act and  the \r\nrules, the Secretary may issue guidelines for carrying out the purposes of the Act.",
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