Police to seal twin cities with containers to stop JUI-F's Azadi March

• Police have also warned of action against traders if they do business with the march organisers.
• JUI-F has announced to begin their Azadi March from October 31.

The Islamabad and Rawalpindi police have demanded containers to seal the capital in preparation for the upcoming Azadi March by the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F).

The Rawalpindi police has prepared a contingency plan under which 120 freight containers will be used to seal the garrison city. Meanwhile, the Islamabad police has demanded more than 550 shipping containers to intercept the march. These demands for containers have been made by zonal superintendents of police City, Saddar, Industrial Area and Rural to the police’s logistics division, police officers told DAWN.

The containers which costs more than Rs 5,000 a day to rent, will be placed in and around the Red Zone, including on PTV Chowk, Ayub Chowk, Aga Khan Road, Secretariat Chowk and France Chowk on Constitution Avenue, Radio Pakistan Chowk on Shahrah-i-Jamhuriat, Serena Chowk on Khayaban-i-Suhrawardi, Convention Centre on Murree Road and Margalla Road.

The police have also decided to seal all the connecting roads of Rawalpindi to I.J. Principal Road. Police officers said steps will be taken to intercept people trying to join the march or gather in the capital. Apart from sealing the capital, the police have also placed a ban on providing catering, sound system and tent services to the protesters.

They have threatened local traders with legal action if they do business with the organisers or participants of the Azadi March. Warning has also been issued to excavator owners and crane owners.

On October 31, JUI-F will march on Islamabad to ‘send the government packing' with its rally. The part chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has accused the government of coming into power through rigged elections. Major opposition parties including Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz, Peoples Party have announced their support for the protests.