Rangers requested for Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum and Mianwali amid preparations for PTI’s planned Sept 27 Islamabad march.
WEB DESK: The Punjab government has requested the federal government to deploy Pakistan Rangers in Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum and Mianwali from September 22 to October 5 to assist police with maintaining law and order.
The request comes amid preparations for a planned September 27 long march and sit-in in Islamabad by PTI, while the Kissan Ittehad has also announced protests.
Rangers deployment requested in four districts
According to a letter sent by the Punjab Home Department to the Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control, three Rangers companies have been requested for Rawalpindi.
One company has been sought for Rawalpindi city and two for Taxila. Five Rangers wings have been requested for Attock, while Jhelum and Mianwali have each been allocated one company under the proposed deployment.
The request is proposed under Article 245 of the Constitution, Sections 4 and 5 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, and Sections 7(b) and 10 of the Pakistan Rangers Ordinance, 1959.
The letter said the matter was discussed at the 59th meeting of the Punjab government’s Standing Committee of the Cabinet on Law & Order on September 20.
Request linked to law-and-order preparations
The committee considered a situational review presented by police authorities, orders of the Islamabad High Court and instructions issued by the Punjab government’s Services and General Administration Department.
Following the meeting, the Punjab government authorised the requisition to be sent to the Interior Ministry for the deployment of troops to maintain law and order in the four districts.
The letter asked the federal ministry to take further action and inform the Punjab Home Department.
Importantly, the Dawn report describes the move as a request for deployment, rather than confirmation that the federal government has already approved the Rangers deployment.
Section 144 imposed across Punjab
Separately, Section 144 has been imposed across Punjab for 13 days.
The order prohibits assemblies, processions and gatherings of five or more people in public places, highways and open spaces. It also prohibits incitement to unlawful assembly.
Exceptions include weddings, funeral prayers, burials, gatherings at mosques and other places of worship, official court and government duties, and events approved by the relevant deputy commissioner.
The Punjab Home Department has also imposed a ban on carrying or displaying weapons in public places, with exemptions for law-enforcement, intelligence and security personnel performing official duties.
Authorities said the restrictions were introduced amid threat alerts concerning possible terrorist activity during large public gatherings.
Mobile and internet restrictions requested
The Punjab Home Department has separately asked the Interior Ministry to downgrade or suspend mobile and internet services at specified locations in Rawalpindi and Attock on September 27.
The request includes possible disruption of 2G, 3G and 4G services at specified locations in Rawalpindi. Areas mentioned include Barahma Bahtar to M-1, Gango, Ahata, Taxila City, Wah Saddar, Thalian and Chakri.
The department also requested that mobile and internet services be downgraded across Attock district. According to the report, the Home Department said the request was made on the recommendation of police for law-and-order purposes.
Security preparations underway
Security preparations are also underway in Rawalpindi Division and Islamabad ahead of the potential protests.
Dawn reported that more than 22,000 security personnel, led by eight deputy inspectors general, are expected to be deployed in Islamabad, while more than 30,000 personnel are planned for Attock district.
Attock is considered strategically important for movement between Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.
The federal government had also authorised the deployment of three Pakistan Army companies in Rawalpindi in August for six months to perform what it described as “sensitive security duties” and respond to unforeseen situations.
PTI plans September 27 march
PTI has announced a September 27 long march to Islamabad, saying it is seeking the release of party founder Imran Khan.
The party has claimed that the march could attract around two million participants. That figure is a PTI claim, not an independently verified attendance forecast.
The proposed Rangers deployment and other security measures come as authorities prepare for the possibility of large gatherings and associated law-and-order challenges.
