PTI rally at D-Chowk: government yet to take final decision about permission

The government is yet to take a final decision on whether to allow Pakistan Tehreek-e-Inaf (PTI) to hold November 30 rally at D-Chowk or to allocate another site outside the Red Zone and bar the PTI workers outside the limits of the federal capital from participating.
"The government may take final decision regarding the allocation of site of the PTI's November 30 public gathering after a meeting with the top leadership of the PTI," a senior official of the district administration told Business Recorder. He said that following the directives of Ministry of Interior, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) is working on preparing an operational strategy for the PTI's November 30 rally. The strategy includes how to deal with PTI workers on November 30, whether to forcibly remove them from D-Chowk or arrest PTI leadership before November 30 and use force against the protesters, he said.
The official said that the administration has proposed the deployment of security personnel and containers in four tiers with the objective of blocking entry of protesters into the Red Zone. "If the government decides not to allow the PTI workers in the federal capital, the protesters would not be allowed to enter the city limits," he added.
He revealed that some officials of district administration have suggested that Red Zone be sealed with double layer of containers and the PTI disallowed from staging their protest in Blue Area or Kashmir Highway. They also maintain that the PTI leadership cannot be trusted as they have violated terms and conditions in the past, he said.
The official further said that at least 10,000 security personnel would be required to secure the inner-most cordon especially the Red Zone. "Out of a total of 10,000 police force, 4,000 would be from Islamabad police, 3,000 from Punjab police, 1,000 from AJK police and 2,000 from FC," he said.
He said that the security personnel will require 15 armed personnel carriers against the available two, 30 prisoner vans against the available 6, and 70 troops' carrier vehicles against the available 13 on November 30. The deficiency of logistic support would be met from other provinces including Punjab and AJK. Police have requested the district administration to arrange 150 containers to cordon off the Red Zone, he said. This correspondent witnessed four containers moving towards Constitution Avenue on Thursday.