RAWALPINDI: Security arrangements have been stepped up across Islamabad and the Rawalpindi Division as authorities prepare for possible long marches and protest demonstrations planned by the PTI and other opposition groups.
More than 22,000 security personnel, supervised by eight deputy inspectors general (DIGs), are being deployed in the federal capital to maintain law and order and respond to any emergency during the planned demonstrations.
A further 30,000 personnel have been summoned to Attock, a strategically important district linking Punjab with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Additional police contingents have started reaching the district and reporting to the district police officer.
Meanwhile, the Rawalpindi police have sought around 9,000 additional personnel from other districts to reinforce local security arrangements during the protests, according to a police official.
Authorities have also begun collecting shipping containers to seal routes leading towards the twin cities. Around 30 entry points are expected to be blocked, including 11 points within Rawalpindi.
The security measures come as several political and farmers’ groups have announced demonstrations in Islamabad. The Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) plans a march against the petroleum levy, while the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has announced a march on September 27 seeking the release of its founder, Imran Khan. The Kissan Ittehad is also preparing a protest march over farmers’ demands.
A substantial number of containers have already been brought into the twin cities and placed along major roads and at designated open spaces for use if road blockades are required.
Sources said additional police contingents had been requisitioned from various districts of the Rawalpindi Division, while the Islamabad-bound force would operate under the command of eight DIGs, 10 senior superintendents of police (SSPs), 40 SPs and 58 deputy superintendents of police (DSPs).
Separate accommodation has been arranged for officers arriving from outside the capital.
In Attock, the security deployment includes personnel being brought in from several Punjab districts, including Sheikhupura, Dera Ghazi Khan, Multan and Faisalabad, as well as contingents of the Punjab Constabulary, Riot Management Police and other specialised units.
The Rawalpindi police have also suspended routine leave until October 1. CPO Rawalpindi Hassan Mushtaq Sukhera directed personnel not to avail casual or earned leave except in cases involving an extreme emergency.
The Islamabad district administration and police have made arrangements to accommodate officers and personnel arriving from other districts for law-and-order duties.
Under the accommodation plan, 362 police officers and officials will be housed in 132 rooms across 13 hotels and guest houses in the capital.
The eight DIGs will stay at Islamabad Hotel in Melody, G-6, while 10 SSPs will be accommodated at a hotel in Blue Area. The 40 SPs will be distributed among various hotels and guest houses.
Similarly, accommodation has been arranged for 58 DSPs and 246 inspectors at comparatively lower-cost guest houses.
Arrangements are also being made for police and Frontier Corps personnel arriving from other provinces. Government buildings, educational institutions, the Sports Complex, marriage halls and police stations have been identified to accommodate the additional force.
