Section 144 imposed in Rawalpindi
RAWALPINDI: The twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad have been armed and barricaded. The Benazir Bhutto International airport has especially been completely sealed to keep the activists of the...
June 23, 2014
Section 144 has been imposed in Rawalpindi, all the routes leading to the airport have been sealed and army soldiers were reported to have been deployed in the area. However, ISPR sources said no army personnel have been deployed around the airport.
The DG ISPR tweeted: “No #Army troops depl anywhere including Airport for policing. Troops already depl before Op ZarbeAzb at sensitive locations against terrorist threat.
”Sources claimed that Dr Qadri could be taken into custody by the law enforcing agencies on his arrival at the BBIA and shifted to Lahore by a helicopter or by road under stringent security because of threats to his life.
“Troops are ready as back-up to tackle any untoward situation, if any, on the arrival of the PAT chief,” sources said and added that threats to the life of Dr Qadri from the TTP were still there.
“Over 100 PAT leaders of different categories have been arrested so far under section 16 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) ordinance and shifted to an undisclosed place,” the PAT leadership claimed, adding, “It was unethical that the police arrested leaders of the PAT including naib Ameer Punjab Ahmad Nawaz Anjum, secretary coordination Sajid Bhatti and Anaar Khan from the Chief Commissioner Office who were negotiating with the Chief Commissioner Rawalpindi on his call.”
Incidents of scuffles between PAT activists and the police followed by hide and seek were reported at different entry points on GT Road while PAT activists who were coming to Rawalpindi to receive their leader at the BBIA, were not allowed to use the Motorway.
Police resorted to lathi charge and used tear-gas at various places to disperse the activists who broke the barriers to continue their voyage but heavy contingents of police and Rangers intercepted them at every stage.
Clashes between the police and PAT activists occurred at different areas of the twin cities. Lathi charge and tear-gas was used by the police at Mandi Mor and Koral Chowk to disperse the people. The clash continued till late night.
The Red Zone, the most sensitive part of the federal capital, has been protected by deploying the Rangers and Elite Police force at entry points and sensitive buildings.
“The army and Rangers have been placed on the Margalla Hills to counter threats of attacks from the hilly areas of Islamabad,” the sources said.
Murree and Azad Kashmir have been separated from Islamabad and Rawalpindi by placing heavy containers at Bahra Kahu Road and Kahuta Road at 11:00pm.
The local administration warned visitors to leave Murree and enter Islamabad before the given time to avoid difficulties.
The government has decided to suspend mobile phone services in the twin-cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad till 11:00am, the sources said.
The Interior Ministry has issued instructions to the PTA in this regard.
Agencies add: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain condemned the arrest of PAT workers in Punjab.In a statement, the MQM chief said the people responsible for the Model Town incident should be arrested but instead the PAT workers are being arrested and they were being subjected to state terrorism.
Altaf said the government was crushing its opponents during a time when the Pakistan Army was at war against the terrorists and the country needed unity.The Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi also condemned the arrest of PAT workers and leaders across Punjab.
“The government has not learnt a lesson from the Model Town incident. They are repeating the same mistakes by an unannounced crackdown against the PAT workers who have been arrested and harassed by the police in various towns,” said Pervaiz Elahi.
