To maintain law and order during Muharram, the Peshawar’s district administration has barred Afghan refugees from entering the provincial capital while people have been prohibited from standing on rooftops along the procession routes and Imambargahs for 10 days.The ban was imposed by Peshawar’s Deputy Commissioner Dr Imran Hamid Shaikh through a notification issued on Tuesday.The ban was imposed under Section 144 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) across the district and cited Senior Superintendent Police (operation) Javed Iqbal’s concerns over what he called ‘apprehension of breach of peace, public tranquillity and uncertainty amongst the general public in the area’.The notification, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, read that the ban extended to pillion riding, wall chalking, distribution of objectionable pamphlets, pasting of posters on walls, especially on mosques and imambargahs.It also imposed a ban on printing, circulation of objectionable material, display, carrying weapons, sale or use of firecrackers besides acid and sale of acid, vehicles having fake or unregistered, applied for number plates, use of loudspeakers other than the call to prayer and Friday sermons.Renting cars and motorbikes, use of tinted glasses [on vehicles] have also been banned during Muharram.The notification also made it clear that anyone found violating the orders shall be proceeded against under section 188 PPC.Published in The Express Tribune, September 12, 2018.