PTI’s long march: Over 23,000 security personnel to be deployed in twin cities

ISLAMABAD: Over 23,000 security personnel including police, Rangers, and Frontier Constabulary (FC) will perform security duties in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi ahead of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s long march.

According to police officials, out of 23,000 security personnel, 10,000 security personnel including Punjab police, commandos from the Elite Force, and sharpshooters, will be deployed in Rawalpindi division for providing security to the PTI’s long march upon entering the jurisdiction of Rawalpindi Division.

Similarly, over 13,086 personnel including Islamabad police, FC, Rangers, and Sindh police would be deployed in and around the city in a bid to thwart the entry of the PTI’s long march to Islamabad.

The major part of the designated force has already been deployed in the different areas of the city. Out of 13,086 security personnel, 4,199 from Islamabad police, 1,022 from Sindh police, 4,265 FC personnel, and 3,600 of Rangers, said a senior official of the police.

The Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration has arranged 1,100 containers for sealing the city completely ahead of the PTI’s long march and out of the total, 600 containers have been placed on standby at different locations on roadsides.

The containers have been placed as a precautionary step at different strategic locations and roads, including near Convention Centre, at Faizabad, at Srinagar Highway near Shakarparian, at IJP Road near I-8 turn, at D-Chowk, at Kak Bridge, near Old Motorway Toll Plaza, at Margalla Hills, at T-Cross Rawat, near Serena Chowk, at Margalla Road, near Aga Khan Road, NadraChowk, at Express Chowk, Service Road near Nadra office, near Rawal Lake, SatraMeel, 26 No Chongi, at KhayabanChowk, at Barri Imam, Zero Point, Banni Gala Road, and BharaKahu to seal the capital completely during the “long march”. The official said that police have been equipped with 616 teargas guns, 50,050 teargas shells, 611 12-bore guns, 36,700 12-bore rounds, 17 pepper ball guns with 4,000 projectiles, 15,000 spray paint shells, and 2,430 masks, besides 374 vehicles.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022