Authorities increase security ahead of PDM’s demonstrations in Islamabad

The security around the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has been tightened to avoid any untoward incident amid the planned protest by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) against the delay in the decision of PTI’s foreign funding case.

The Rawalpindi administration has finalised the traffic and security plans for the movement of convoys of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) heading towards the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to stage a protest.

As per revised programme of PDM, the local leadership of the parties will be heading the rallies.

The convoys would be directed towards Islamabad from Murree Road. A City Traffic Police (CTP) official told The Express Tribune that the caravan of Jamiate Ulema Fazl (JUI-F) would march towards Islamabad using Murree Road. The convoy of Pakistan Muslim League–Nawaz (PML-N) would enter Islamabad from Faizabad after passing through Murree Road.

Further, the Rawalpindi police have also formulated a comprehensive security plan for maintaining law and order until the protesters leave Rawalpindi and enter Islamabad.

Under the plan, additional police force would be deployed on Murree Road while the patrolling vans would be stationed sporadically as well.

The police officials would be stationed atop buildings in Liaqauat Bagh, Rehmanabad, and Shamsabad.

The police official said that the road users going to Islamabad would be provided alternative routes to reach there. Meanwhile, CTP has also devised a traffic plan for the day.

CTP Spokesperson said that additional wardens would perform duties on Murree Road including on the bridges and in the underpasses. The traffic personnel would ensure the uninterrupted movement of the participants of the rally headed to the federal capital.

The participants of the rally would not be allowed to park vehicles on Murree Road while leaving for Islamabad.

The vehicles of the violators would be lifted by the CTP, the official added.

Rawalpindi police would cover the range until the Faizabad interchange and after this point security and traffic flow would be the responsibility of the Islamabad police.

The operations wing of the Islamabad police have chalked out a comprehensive security plan for gathering of PDM in the capital.

Operations division of Islamabad police in consultation with the district administration have devised law and order as well as security plan for expected rally of PDM from Rawalpindi to ECP today.

More than 1,800 personnel including five SPs, 10 DSPs will perform security as well as law and order duties under overall supervision of operations SSP, to ensure the implementation of code of conduct agreed between the organisers and the district administration.