Islamabad Police have started impounding containers to seal the federal capital’s Red Zone, two days before Pakistan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf’s anti-rigging rally.
Sources said police stations of Tarnol, Sabzi Mandi and Sahala areas have impounded dozens of containers to place them on all entry and exit points of Islamabad.
Drivers and conductors of the seized containers protesters over the move after which the government announced Rs 10,000 daily rent for per container, sources said.
PTI Chairman Imran Khan has announced a rally at Islamabad’s D Chowk on May 11 against what he called ‘theft of public mandate.’ He has vowed to show the power of his ‘tsunami supporters’ in the federal capital.
Keeping in view any untoward situation, the Interior Ministry has allowed PTI to stage the protest with a long list of conditions.
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan announced the conditions: no one will enter the red zone, vehicles of the rally-goers cannot go beyond Kulsoom Plaza in Blue Area, the stage would be set 100 yards away from Express Chowk, no weapons of any kind will be brought to the meeting, routes will be pre-designated for people coming from Azad Kashmir, Punjab, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, vehicles will be denied entry if anyone riding on them was found carrying firearms or guns were found hidden inside, bringing minors or infants to the public meeting is banned as children could be used as human shield, fireworks of any kind are also prohibited, separate enclosures will be set up for women and private shipping containers will not be engaged by force or for free.
Imran Khan is pursuing a vigorous campaign against irregularities in last year’s general elections, blaming the ruling PML-N for massive rigging in Punjab, the stronghold of Nawaz Sharif’s politics.
Khan’s PTI, which rules Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with coalition partner – Jamaat-e-Islami – has challenged results of several constituencies in Punjab and called for recounting of votes, initially in four constituencies of the province.
