The Punjab government has refuted reports of authorities enforcing a ban on the entry of TikTokers in parks across the province.

Azhar Mashwani, the Punjab chief minister's focal person for digital media, issued a denial after Geo News reported that the Punjab government had enforced a ban on the entry of TikTokers within the province's parks.

The report said that only state media would be allowed to shoot videos in parks and said that permission to form videos for social media would depend upon the submission of a script beforehand , while security personnel deployed at the parks will monitor Tiktokers and YouTubers.

"Fake News. No such decision taken thus far by government. Currently, TikTok is banned in Pakistan," Mashwani said.
The Punjab Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) Director General (DG) Jawad Ahmad Qureshi also issued a denial.

In a statement, Qureshi said that the authority denied all rumours concerning the ban on TikTokers in parks across Lahore.

He said that no written notification to bar TikTokers and YouTubers from entering parks had been issued.

Speaking to Dawn.com, he said that it had been not the authority's job to make sure security in parks, and therefore the refore the department's responsibilities were limited to maintaining facilities and the security equipment.

The DG, however, added that plans were into account to declare at some point of the week as "family day", when only families would be allowed to go to parks. He said his department was making efforts to enhance the safety equipment at the province's parks.

The news reports surfaced after videos emerged of a female TikToker and her companions being harassed and assaulted at Lahore's Greater Iqbal Park on Independence Day .

The videos went viral on social media, sparking public outrage and drawing police attention.