Has Punjab govt actually banned food at funerals?

LAHORE: Widely viral claims on social media purport that the Punjab government has imposed a ban on the preparation or serving of dishes in funerals across the province.

It stated that the authorities intended to ban cooking, the distribution of food, and congregation related to funerals, and that the district administrations would soon be issued formal instructions to implement their decision.

The posts further suggested that officials would take action against those who breached the alleged ban. The claims spread rapidly on the internet with no official notification or policy document accompanying the reports, leaving the public in confusion.

Later, the Minister of Information and Culture, Punjab, Azma Bokhari, took notice of the circulating reports and denied them beyond any shadow of doubt. She termed the reports as “fake news” in a brief response shared on social media, clarifying that no such order has been issued by the government of Punjab to ban food preparation or distribution at funerals.

The clarification was meant to check on misinformation and halt further dissemination of unverified materials. The government has called on the citizens to only rely on confirmed statements by official sources and to avoid passing on rumors.