Punjab bans open-air drone flights for 30 days over security

Punjab's home department has banned the flying of drones in open air across the province for 30 days, citing security concerns, and has issued a notification imposing the restriction under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, Express News reported.

According to the report, the order was made by the Punjab home secretary under Section 144(6) of the 1898 code and applies across the province. The department has directed district administrations and police to enforce it in full.

The notification allows small drones to be used in a limited way for covering events held inside halls and marquees. Organisers of such indoor events will be responsible for operating the drones safely, it says.

Intelligence agencies and law-enforcement agencies are exempt from the ban.

A district-level Safe Drone Usage Committee has been constituted to issue written permission for safe drone use. The committee is to give written clearance for agricultural, irrigation and research purposes, and drone flights covered by that written permission will stand outside the ban.

The home department said public safety, the maintenance of peace and order and the protection of property were the provincial government's first priority.

Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, gives the executive short-term powers to prohibit specified activities in a district or province to prevent danger to human life, health or safety, or a disturbance of public order.

UrduPoint also carried the 30-day restriction and the limited allowance for small drones covering indoor events. The reports describe the ban as province-wide and do not list any district as exempt apart from the agency carve-out.

The restriction lands on a fast-growing civilian drone sector in Pakistan, where photographers, event organisers, property developers and agricultural operators use low-cost machines. Under the notification as reported, such users in Punjab will now need written permission from the district committee except when flying small drones indoors at halls and marquees.