ICT hungry for containers, cops to counter PTI siege

‘GO NAWAZ GO’ FEVER GRIPS CAPITAL A WEEK BEFORE NOV 2

Preparing for the worst, government authorities have ordered the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration and the Punjab Police to arrange 700 containers to block the roads of the capital ahead of the lockdown announced by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). The ICT administration also demanded 40 prisoner vans and 18 armoured vehicles to deter the anti-government march on November 2.

Sources claimed that the Punjab government had agreed to provide four armoured vehicles, which are not enough to tackle the situation. In a letter to the additional secretary at the Ministry of Interior, Islamabad Police said the Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC) would be used to disperse protesters while the prisoners vans would be used to move the arrested protesters.

On the request of the ICT chief commissioner, the Ministry of Interior would deploy 350 troops of the Pakistan Army in Islamabad for a period of 90 days until December 3, 2016. Recently, the federal government also extended the time of stay of 1,500 rangers and 50 scouts of Gilgit-Baltistan. The I9 Police Station and Sabzi Mandi Police Station, along with the police stations of Sadiqabad and Pirwadhai, have set up surprise check posts on the adjacent roads, and booked more than 80 trucks.

According to sources, the Punjab Police and the federal police have been tasked to arrange 300 and 400 containers respectively. The ICT administration has contacted the contractors for getting the mass amount of containers on rent, however, the Punjab Police arranged somehow by booking the trucks and Mazdas travelling on the roads.

The local police have informed the provincial authorities that they would require 6,800 rubber bullets, 1,500 batons, 300 shipping containers, 10,000 teargas shells and 26 sections of elite force commandoes during the PTI’s lockdown.

Talking to Pakistan Today, Sajjad Haider, station house officer (SHO) at the I-9 Police Station, expressed ignorance about the booking of trucks and Mazdas in the premises of PS I-9 Industrial Area. However, he confirmed that there was a plan to block all the main roads with containers and the ICT administration, along with SSP Operations, was trying to arrange the containers from contractors. The PS Sabzi Mandi SHO said that surprise check posts was part of the routine, adding that if there were some trucks and Mazdas booked, they must have violated the rules or did not have the registration books of their vehicles. There are security threats and the federal police are just trying to provide safe and secure atmosphere to the citizens, he added.

According to the sources, the PTI has arranged accommodations for party workers in sectors G-10, G-11 and G-12.