RAWALPINDI: The district administration, police, city traffic police and Rescue-1122 on Thursday finalized all arrangements for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) rallies and public gathering.
Police personnel including commandos from the Elite Force and sharpshooters would be deployed to provide foolproof security cover to the rallies and public gathering.
The district administration and police have finalized the traffic, security and Rescue-1122 plans for the movement of rallies of PTI heading towards Rawalpindi to stage a protest. As per the programme, the leadership of PTI would be heading the rallies.
According to City Traffic Officer (CTO) Tamoor Khan, all the arrangements for PTI Long March and public gathering had been finalized.
He said, special diversion plans had been finalized to regulate traffic on city roads during the long march and public meeting.
Enhanced number of traffic wardens would be deployed on alternative routes to ease traffic flow and facilitate the road users, he said adding, and CTP would also try to spread awareness about up-to-date traffic situation through FM 88.6 and social media.
The police have formulated a comprehensive security plan for maintaining law and order until the protesters leave the city.
According to a police spokesman, over 10,000 personnel would be deployed to ensure security while 750 traffic wardens and officers would also be deployed to ensure foolproof traffic arrangements.
He informed that over 400 Elite commandos would be on security duty during the long march and the public meeting.
Additional police force would be deployed on Murree Road and other routes of the long march while the teams of Elite and Dolphin forces would be patrolling in different areas to check law and order situation.
Over 100 snipers and police officials would be stationed atop buildings on the route of the long march.
The police have made foolproof security arrangements for safety of the public meeting and 2500 police personnel would be deployed in the inner cordon. Monitoring of the routes of the rallies would be conducted through CCTV cameras while four special vehicles equipped with CCTV cameras facility would also be used to monitor the security of the routes of the rallies.
On the directives of City Police Officer, Rawalpindi, senior police officers would remain in the field to check field duties and brief the police personnel.
Elite Force, Dolphin and personnel of other units had also been deployed to make all the security arrangements foolproof.
CPO Syed Shehzad Nadeem Bukhari said that all available resources would be utilized to provide best possible security cover to the public meeting.
Rescue-1122 has also finalized all the arrangements for the public gathering.
According to a Rescue-1122 spokesman, Rescue-1122 on the directives of District Emergency Officer, Rawalpindi had declared code red across Rawalpindi district. Special Rescue-1122 teams had been deployed in two shifts while more than 300 rescuers to provide emergency cover to the public gathering.
Rescue-1122 vehicles of other districts of the division would also be available in case of any emergency, he added.
He said, Rescue-1122 to remain on high alert during the public meeting.
Earlier, the Interior ministry has again informed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership about possible fear of suicide or bomb attack on the long march.
A letter addressed to PTI Secretary General Asad Umar, states that the interior ministry has been sharing threat alerts generated by credible intelligence sources to the life of Imran Khan by anti-state elements to destabilize the country.
The letter also mentioned the recent attack on Imran Khan by an armed assailant at Wazirabad.
The letter said that extremist parties may carry out terrorist attacks on PTI’s long march.
The letter further said that there are threats of suicide or bomb attacks in public gatherings, and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf should postpone the public gathering in Rawalpindi, the letter further said.
The Interior Ministry has formally conveyed to the concerned quarters the threat to the life of Imran Khan and the general public.
Earlier, Punjab Home Minister Omar Sarfraz Cheema said that intelligence reports confirmed serious threats to Imran Khan’s life and the government is providing foolproof security to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief.
Meanwhile, the Islamabad administration has extended Section 144 (an order to prohibit the assembly of four or more people in an area) in the federal capital for a period of two more months.
The law bans the assembly of more than five people in public places. All political and religious congregations were banned.
“Section 144 will remain imposed in the areas declared a part of the Red Zone. “Any rally, public meeting or congregation will not be allowed in the extended area of the red zone,” the notification stated.
It is pertinent to mention here that PTI has announced a public gathering at Faizabad on November 26.
