Law and order maintenance: Order issued to seal Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: The federal government on Thursday ordered to seal Islamabad for maintenance of law and order in the federal capital on the recommendations of the Ministry of Defence.

A notification in this regard was issued by the Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Islamabad Capital Territory, and after the analysis of current situation of the Punjab, the federal capital is sealed/locked down in order to revive a peaceful environment in capital for the people living in Islamabad and Punjab province for investigation on the attack on PTI Chairman Imran Khan w.e.f 18:00pm, 03.11.2022 in larger public interest and until further order.

The exemptions of this order include essential services and supplies like pharmacy, patients for medical aid, rationing, drinking water supplies and emergency, etc.

The notification said that the citizens are requested to make prior arrangement for their convenience, including ration, medicines, and in the news channels and public statements of supporters and officeholders of the PTI about the unlawful use of lethal weapons, lethal pointed batons, catapults, and other weapons” by the protesters against the police and other law enforcement agencies.

The letter said that there are reports that unlawful paraphernalia is being amassed on the boundaries of ICT in the jurisdictions of KP and Punjab provinces. An audio recording leaked by the Interior Minister suggested that a prominent PTI leader from KP was talking about bringing arms and ammunition.

Similarly, the top PTI leadership is publicly threatening physical retaliation in their speeches as well as on live shows on electronic media in case violence breaks out in their march or the possible “sit-in.”

Alleging that there was a “high likelihood of violence as per arrangements by the PTI leadership,” the IGP Islamabad has requested the Interior Ministry to accord necessary guidance for the deployment of armed units during the upcoming PTI long march, exercising the right to self-defence as per the law. A few days ago, the civil intelligence agency warned the law enforcement agencies and civil administration about the planned clash between the police forces of Islamabad and KP at Toll Plaza near Sangjani, which falls in the jurisdiction of Punjab Province.

The intelligence agency had recommended adopting all possible measures to avoid the clash, adding that the KP police, equipped with weapons, had been deployed with the PTI marchers to guard the political dignitaries and should not be allowed to enter the premises of the Islamabad Capital Territory.

In a letter written to the Ministry of Interior, the IGP Islamabad has reiterated that “all the integrated deployment units, including the Islamabad Capital Police, the Frontier Constabulary, Rangers, and others, will discharge their duties without any fear and with full care for the people as per the law to perform their duties.”