Strict security arrangements have been made in the federal capital for Monday's (today) joint session of the parliament and entry of heavy vehicles in Islamabad and light vehicles in Red Zone has been banned completely. Additional contingents of Pakistan Rangers and Frontier Constabulary (FC) have been deployed across the city particularly in the Red Zone, which houses Parliament House.
President Zardari will address the Parliament on Monday. Islamabad Police and other law enforcement agencies have been asked to remain vigilant to avoid any untoward incident on the occasion of joint sitting of the parliament, sources said.
They said that special security arrangements were made and law enforcement agencies were directed not to allow any vehicle to enter into Red Zone, starting from Hotel Serena from one side and Trail-III of Margalla Road on the other. Only vehicle having coloured stickers would be allowed to enter the Red Zone, they added.
Under new security plan no heavy vehicle would be allowed to enter Islamabad from Sunday evening while light vehicles would not be allowed to enter the Red Zone, sources said. Islamabad Police has evolved a strategy under which additional contingents of police and Anti Terrorists Squad will be deployed on all entry and exit points of the capital to ensure complete checking of the vehicles entering Islamabad, Islamabad Police officials said. They said that joint patrolling of Police, ATS and Rangers would be increased to keep vigilance.
Meanwhile, Islamabad Traffic Police has also evolved a special strategy to regulate traffic on Monday. The Red Zone will be closed for general traffic, the Acting Senior superintendent of Traffic Police Mir Waiz Niazi told media.
The vehicles having red and green stickers will be allowed to enter red zone, he said, adding that from the mid night of 4-5 April the entry of heavy traffic will be prohibited in Islamabad including all those heavy vehicles who have previously been permitted to enter in Islamabad will also be banned. Acting SSP Traffic said that on 05-04-2010 after 02:00 pm Margalla Road from Trail III, Agha Khan Road from Ayub Chowk, Jinnah Avenue from Express Chowk and Fazal e Haq Road from Great Wall Chowk will be closed from general traffic.
Likewise the traffic playing from G-6 to G-5 will be closed from Bazar Chowk and the entry of traffic into Federal Lodges will be closed. The general traffic will also be diverted from Dhokri Chowk, Radio Pakistan Chowk, Bari Imam T Cross and Shams Picket.