SCO summit: Metro Bus Service to remain shut in twin cities for four days

• Metro Bus Service to operate normally till Oct 13, says official.
• Bus service will remain suspended between Oct 14 and 17.
• SCO summit scheduled to take place on Oct 15 and 16 in capital.

ISLAMABAD: The Metro Bus Service will remain shut in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi for four days, starting tomorrow (October 14) till Thursday owing to the high-profile Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in the federal capital. 

The decision to suspend the bus operations has been taken on directive of the district administration, an official said, adding the transit service would operate normally till tonight (October 13). 

This comes as another of the multiple measures taken by the government to ensure that the event holding global importance takes place smoothly and without any untoward situation.

Islamabad is set to host the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) meeting with major foreign leaders on October 15 and 16.

According to the Foreign Office spokesperson, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will preside over the CHG meeting as the current chair.

The prime ministers of China, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as well as the first vice president of Iran and external affairs minister of India will visit Pakistan to represent their respective SCO member states.

The prime minister of Mongolia, as an observer state, and deputy chairman of the cabinet of ministers and foreign minister of Turkmenistan, as a special guest, will also participate in the meeting.

The summit will discuss ongoing cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, environment, socio-cultural linkages and review the performance of the organisation.

In a bid to maintain the law and order situation during the SCO summit, Section 144 has been imposed in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Karachi till October 17.

Exercising powers vested under Section 144, the Punjab government has prohibited all kinds of political assemblies, gatherings, sit-ins, rallies, demonstrations, pillion riding, aerial firing, pigeon flying, use of drones and use of laser lights from October 10 to 17 in Rawalpindi.

Separately, the provincial authorities also imposed restrictions on public gatherings under Section 144 in five districts for three days over security concerns.

The districts include Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur, and Kot Addu.

Whereas in Karachi, Commissioner Syed Hassan Naqvi imposed a complete ban on any kind of public gathering within the territorial limit of the provincial capital under the powers delegated by the Sindh home department. 

Meanwhile, the federal government has announced three-day public holiday for educational institutes in the federal capital territory — October 14 to 16.

On October 10, officials also announced the closure of marriage halls, restaurants, and cafes for a period of five days — October 12 to 16 — in the twin cities.

Additionally, notices were issued to traders and hotel owners by the police, warning that any violations will result in penalties.