Punjab Home Department has issued a strong advisory urging citizens not to donate sacrificial animal hides to banned organisations or their affiliates ahead of Eidul Azha.
The department has released a list of over 70 proscribed groups and stressed that aiding them-financially or materially-is a punishable offence under the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997.
“Assisting entities involved in terrorism or anti-state activities is not only a threat to national security but can also result in legal consequences for individuals,” the spokesperson warned.
Citizens have been instructed to donate hides only to charities registered with the Punjab Charity Commission. Verification can be done using QR codes found on official certificates issued to authorised organisations.
Seminaries and welfare institutions seeking to collect hides must obtain a valid no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Deputy Commissioner’s office. Only groups with legitimate permits issued by either the DC or the Charity Commission are permitted to operate.
Among the banned groups named are Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Sipah-e-Muhammad, Jaish-e-Muhammad, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Al-Qaeda, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Jamaat-ud-Dawa, Daesh (ISIS), Hizb-ut-Tahrir, Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM), Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation, Al-Akhtar Trust, Al-Rasheed Trust, Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) and others.
The department has called on parents, mosque administrators, seminaries, and NGOs to remain vigilant and help safeguard national interests.
Citizens are advised to report any suspicious hide collection by banned groups via the police emergency number 15.
Official lists of registered charities can be accessed through the Punjab Home Department, Punjab Charity Commission, and NACTA websites.
The federal government has declared a four-day public holiday for Eidul Azha, scheduled to begin on Friday, June 6, and will extend through to Monday, June 9.
According to media reports, all government and private offices, educational institutions, and banks across the country will remain closed during the holidays.
The decision is in line with the celebration of Eidul Azha, which is a major religious festival in Pakistan.
The announcement was preceded by sighting of moon on May 27 by Ruet-e-Hilal Committee. Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad said that the first day of Eidul Azha will be celebrated across Pakistan on June 7.