LAHORE: The Punjab government has barred 29 clerics, religious scholars and zakirs belonging to various sects from entering the province during Muharram-ul-Haram 2026, invoking powers under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance, 1960, as part of an extensive security plan aimed at maintaining sectarian harmony and preventing disturbances during the holy month. Under Section 5(1)(a) of the MPO Ordinance, the government directed that the listed individuals “shall not enter, reside or remain in the Province of Punjab during Muharram-ul-Harram, 2026”. The ban came into force immediately and will remain effective for 15 days.
The largest list pertains to religious figures from Sindh, where 17 individuals have been prohibited from entering Punjab. They include Mufti Saeedur Rehman Arshad Al-Husaini Hashmi, Maulana Aurangzeb Farooqi, Maulana Abdullah Shah Mazhar, Maulana Rabnawaz Hanafi, Maulana Saeed Saqib, Maulana Abdul Khaliq Chachar, Maulana Abdul Sammad Haideri, Maulana Sanaullah Haideri, Maulana Abdul Jabbar Haideri, Hafiz Abu Bakar Siddique, Maulana Sarwat Ijaz Qadri, Muhammad Bilal Saleem Qadri, Mufti Syed Arshad Al-Hussaini, Zakir Ghulam Ali, Allama Jamil Abdi, Allama Nazir Abbas Taqvi and Maulana Nazar Hussain Solangi.
A separate order places restrictions on five religious figures from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, namely Maulana Muhammad Yousaf Shah of Darul Uloom Haqqania, Akora Khattak; Allama Islamuddin Usmani; Mufti Ziaur Rehman Saeed, Mufti Kafaitulla and Maulana Muhammad Ramzan Tauqeer.
The Punjab government has also barred four individuals associated with Islamabad Capital Territory from entering the province during Muharram. They are Maulana Abdul Aziz of Lal Masjid, Prof Talabur Rehman, Sakhawat Ali and Allama Muhammad Asghar Askari.
In another notification, two clerics from Balochistan Maulana Amaanullah Rabbani and Maulana Abdul Baqi were similarly prohibited from entering Punjab for the duration of the restrictions.
The Home Department also issued a separate order against Allama Ameen Shahidi, directing that he shall not enter, reside or remain in Punjab during Muharram. Authorities cited the same grounds of public safety, sectarian sensitivity and law and order concerns in support of the restriction.
