Friday protest: Punjab government decides to deploy Army, Rangers in Rawalpindi

Punjab government has decided to deploy army and Rangers personnel for aiding civil administration in sensitive areas of the Rawalpindi in view of the expected protest demonstrations on Friday against the Raja Bazaar tragedy. Different religious groups have announced to hold protest demonstrations across the country against the November 15 sectarian clashes in Rawalpindi, wherein 11 people were killed and several others injured.
The decision to deploy army in the city was taken in a joint meeting attended by government, army, rangers and police officials. The meeting chalked out comprehensive security plan for Friday and decided to deploy army in the city aimed at averting any untoward incident, an official said. He said that the meeting also decided there would be no public holiday in the city. The administration also imposed ban on use of loudspeaker and decided to record Friday sermons at sensitive mosques, he said.
At the same time Islamabad administration in a meeting presided over by the Chief Commissioner Islamabad has decided to seal the Red Zone and put security on high alert in capital city to block access of protesters to the Red Zone. Cargo containers will be placed around the Red Zone and contingent of Ranger and police will be deployed in the city. He said that army troops will be put on stand by in the city. The law enforcement agencies would also conduct aerial surveillance of the city and surrounding areas. Special police teams have been constituted by each police station for effective patrolling in their respective jurisdiction.
The official said that police personnel in civvies had also been assigned the task to keep vigilance against suspicious elements. The high-ups of capital police have issued special directives to all senior police officials to conduct checking at all police pickets in their areas and make the security system more effective. They also issued directives for effective co-ordination among all wings of Islamabad police including Operational police, CID Department, Security Division and Special Branch.
Provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah while talking to media said that the district administration of Rawalpindi had requested six companies of the Pakistan Army and Rangers to assist police on Friday. "The city will be handed over to Pakistan Army and Rangers to coup with any eventuality," he said. The Minister said that police had so far apprehended 16 people involved in Rawalpindi tragedy after identifying them through video footages filmed by Special Branch of Punjab Police, CCTV Cameras and the TV channels. Sanaullah said that the government would strengthen the prosecution, so that all the culprits could get punishment from the courts.
He said that the protests being organised on Friday against Raja Bazaar tragedy would be peaceful. The government has asked all the religious groups and parties to remain inside their mosques and Imambargahs as they would be provided complete security on the occasion.
He said that the government had allocated Rs 240 million for reconstruction of the affected mosque, seminary and the cloth market. The Minister said that the senior police officers were removed following the recommendation of an inquiry report of Fact Finding Committee in a bid to make all the process fair and impartial. Provincial Minister for Labour and Manpower, Raja Ashfaq Sarwar, PML-N MNA, Malik Abrar Ahmed, former MNAs Malik Shakeel Ahmed Awan and Haji Pervaiz, MPAs Chaudhry Sarfraz Afzal, Raja Muhammad Hanif Advocate and others were also present on the occasion.