Over 22,000 security personnel to be deployed in Islamabad amid protest calls

RAWALPINDI: Preparations in the Rawalpindi Division and the federal capital territory to maintain security and deal with any emergency situation are in full swing in the light of the potential long march by the PTI and protest rallies by other opposition political parties to Islamabad. More than 22,000 security personnel led by eight DIGs will be deployed in the federal capital and over 30,000 in the Attock district, which connects Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with Punjab. In Attock, additional personnel to assist the local police have started arriving and reporting to the District Police Officer (DPO). The Rawalpindi police have requested for 9,000 personnel to assist the local police to ensure security during protests, a police official told Dawn.

Containers being seized in twin cities and placed on sides of highways and open spaces On the other hand, a large number of containers are being seized to block the entry points to prevent possible protests and rallies to reach the twin cities as 30 entry points will be blocked, including 11 in Rawalpindi. Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), Kissan Ittehad and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) have announced long marches and sit-in protests in Islamabad in the coming week. Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) has called for a long march towards Islamabad against the levy on petroleum products, while PTI has announced a long march on September 27 for the release of its founder Imran Khan. Kissan Ittehad is seeking relief for farmers and has also announced a protest march to Islamabad. A large number of containers have already been seized in the twin cities and are being placed on the sides of highways and open spaces. While additional police force has been called from the districts of Rawalpindi division, sources revealed that more than 22,000 forces have been called…