Daily Times

LAHORE: Over 7,000 policemen will be deployed to provide security to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) marchers today.

The Police Department has also called additional Elite Force, Mujahid Force, Quick Response Force in addition to personnel in plainclothes from other intelligence agencies for round-the-clock patrolling of all surrounding areas of Raiwind.

Talking to Daily Times, a senior police officer said a high profile meeting of senior police officers was held to chalk out a “foolproof” security plan to maintain law and order in the city. He said all divisional superintendents of police (SPs); assistant superintendents of police (ASPs) and deputy superintendents of police (DSPs) from both the operation and investigation wings attended the meeting.

He said law enforcement agencies would continue search and scanning operation in the areas adjacent to the venue of PTI public meeting and on the route of the Raiwind march with the help of modern scanners, sniffer dogs and through intelligence.

He added the law enforcement agencies would block all the entry points to the Raiwind march and those who would join the Raiwind march right from the beginning under the observation of police and the event organisers would be allowed to participate in the march.

In this connection, a PTI delegation, comprising Mian Aslam Iqbal, Shoaib Siddique, Ch. Ijaz Ahmad Dayal, Malik Zaheer Iqbal and Khalid Mehmood, called on Capital City Police Officer Captain (r) Muhammad Ameen Wains on Thursday and reviewed security plan regarding Raiwind march.

The CCPO told the delegation that a comprehensive security plan had been evolved to provide effective security to the participants of the march. More than 70,000 police offices and officials would be deployed, he added. Participants of the public meeting would be checked in three lanes, he said, adding that a control room had been established to monitor the march. The delegation was also informed about the threat issued by security agencies. The meeting decided that police, district administration and PTI leadership would keep a close liaison with one another during the public meeting.

DIG Operations Dr Haider Ashraf said that all vehicles coming from other cities would be thoroughly checked before entering into the venue of public meeting. He also said that search operation would be carried out on Thursday night around the premises of public meeting. In order to control traffic, wardens would be deployed throughout the city, he added.

The members of the delegation expressed their complete satisfaction over the arrangements made by police for the security of participants.

Commissioner Lahore Division Abdullah Sunbal, SSP Operation Muntazir Mehndi, SSP Investigation Hassan Mushtaq Sukhera, SSP Special Branch Shaukat Abbas, CTO Tayyab Hafeez Cheema, SP Security Rana Tahir and other officers of departments concerned were also present at the meeting.

Meanwhile, the City Traffic Police has also finalised a plan to manage traffic flow on main roads of the provincial metropolis to avoid any traffic mess during the march. More than 1,000 traffic officials on march route and its surrounding areas would be deployed to maintain the traffic flow across the city.

Chief Traffic Officer Tayyab Hafeez Cheema told Daily Times that two SPs, six DSPs, 42 inspectors and 760 traffic wardens have been deputed on Raiwind march route and its surrounding areas to maintain traffic flow as well as facilitate the road users.