The Punjab Home Department has issued a firm advisory ahead of Eidul Azha, warning citizens against donating sacrificial animal hides to any banned groups or their affiliates.
A list of more than 70 outlawed organisations has been made public, with authorities reminding the public that “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 department emphasised that only charities officially registered with the Punjab Charity Commission are permitted to collect hides.
Citizens can confirm a charity’s status by scanning the QR code on the official certification issued to authorised groups.
Religious schools and welfare bodies must also secure a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Deputy Commissioner before collecting hides.
Only those with valid permits from either the Charity Commission or the DC’s office will be allowed to operate.
Some of the proscribed organisations listed include 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, and Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), among others.
The Home Department urged mosque leaders, educational institutions, parents, and NGOs to stay alert and help uphold public safety. Any suspicious hide collection by restricted groups should be reported immediately via the police emergency number 15.
To ensure transparency, official records of registered organisations are available on the websites of the Punjab Home Department, Punjab Charity Commission, and NACTA.
Separately, the federal government has declared a four-day public holiday for Eidul Azha, starting Friday, June 6, through Monday, June 9.
As per the source, this holiday applies to all public and private offices, schools, and banks across the country.
The announcement follows the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee’s moon sighting on May 27. Committee chairman Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad confirmed that Eidul Azha will be celebrated across Pakistan on June 7.