Daily Times

LAHORE: The city police have chalked out a security and traffic plan for the homecoming rally of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif, which would enter the provincial capital today (Friday).

More than 10,000 police officials would perform security and traffic duties in all important areas of the city.

The City Traffic Police also finalised a plan to manage vehicular traffic on the main roads of the city.

Security arrangements were reviewed by CCPO Captain (r) Amin Wains during a meeting held at Police Lines, Qilla Gujjar Singh, on Wednesday. The meeting was attended by DIG Operations Dr Haider Ashraf, CTO SSP Rai Ijaz and other senior officers.

The police department on Thursday also called extra forces, in addition to personnel in plainclothes, from other intelligence agencies for round-the-clock patrolling in all surrounding areas of the route of the rally, including Imamia Colony and Data Darbar. The personnel deputed at city’s police stations on the rally’s route have also been directed to keep a vigilant eye on all crowded places in their respective jurisdictions.

A senior police officer said that the law enforcement agencies would continue the search and scanning operation in the areas and on the route of the rally with the help of modern scanners, sniffer dogs and through human intelligence a day before the event in order to ensure foolproof security.

He added that the law enforcers would block both side of the main GT Road at Imamia Colony towards Data Darbar for the rally to ensure peaceful atmosphere on the day the rally enters the city. He said that snipers would also take position on different buildings in order to counter any activity.

Talking to Daily Times, Capital City Police Officer (CCPO), Amin Wains said that the Lahore police would take extraordinary security steps on the day. He said the police had chalked out a well-coordinated security plan on the occasion and no dereliction of duty would be tolerated.

He said that unprecedented security check would be arranged at the exit and entry points of the city. He said that all divisional SPs would conduct continuous patrolling of their areas concerned and check the performance of the deputed police officials.

DIG Operations Dr Haider Ashraf said that 8,000 police personnel would be deployed on the route of Nawaz Sharif’s motorcade, while aerial vigilance would also be conducted.

Meanwhile, the police have started taking containers in their possession to completely block the roads leading to the route of Nawaz Sharif’s rally.

On the other hand, the City Traffic Police have finalised a plan to manage vehicular traffic on the main roads of the city. The department has also deputed more than 2,000 traffic officials on the route of the rally and its surrounding areas to maintain the traffic flow.

Chief Traffic Officer SSP Rai Ijaz told Daily Times that four SPs, 20 DSPs, 70 inspectors and 1,354 traffic wardens had been deputed on the route and its surrounding areas to maintain traffic flow and to facilitate the commuters. He said the people operating heavy transport vehicles had already been directed to use alternative routes on the day.

Moreover, people have been requested to contact motorway police helpline 130, Lahore police helpline 15 and Gujranwala traffic police helpline 1915 to get the status of the GT Road before starting their journey. Commuters moving towards Rawalpindi, Islamabad and Peshawar from Lahore have also been directed to use the motorway and contact the traffic police helpline before coming onto the GT Road.

Published in Daily Times, August 11^th 2017.