- Interior minister tells police and security agencies to pool resources to fully secure Rawalpindi and Islamabad in wake of Dr Tahirul Qadri’s arrival on Monday, Operation Zarb-e-Azb in tribal areas
- Nisar directs Islamabad commissioner to ban congregations in federal capital owing to terror threats
As the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government in Punjab led by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif reels from the political fallout of the police violence on supporters of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri in Lahore on June 17, the federal government led by Sharif’s elder brother, Nawaz Sharif has decided to give fool-proof security to the preacher-politician and his supporters when the former lands in Islamabad from London on Monday (tomorrow).
A meeting in this regard was held in the Interior Ministry on Saturday in which Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan asked the police and security agencies to pool their resources to fully secure the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, and its residents in wake of the recently launched Operation Zarb-e-Azb in the tribal areas, and for ensuring the security of PAT workers when they arrive in the federal capital to receive Qadri.
The interior minister stressed that the security plan be devised in such a manner that security of those participating in PAT’s rally and that of general public be ensured by means of better coordination between the administration and police of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
He directed that security of other parts of twin cities be also ensured at this moment so that no unlawful element could take advantage of the situation and to keep in view the facilitation of the common public while keeping strict security measures intact.
He said that the sensitivity of the situation demands extra security measures and it is incumbent on the security agencies to fully secure public places and strategically important buildings. The minister directed the top police officials to review the overall security of the federal capital with particular reference to entry and exit points and identification of sensitive buildings in order to take security measures accordingly.
He stressed that entry and exit points of both cities be put on high alert and surrounding areas be thoroughly searched on war footings and be cleared of any unlawful elements. He said that the joint patrolling teams of Rangers and police have given a sense of security to the residents of Islamabad and directed to strategise this exercise to get its more optimum use.
“All routes must be highly protected and special attention should be paid to unconventional routes including jeep-able and pedestrian routes,” Nisar told the meeting’s participants.
In wake of the bombing at the Naanga Sarkar shrine last night, the minister directed the Islamabad commissioner to ban congregations owing to threats because of the ongoing operation.
