ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Interior on Friday sought police personnel from Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) as well as additional personnel of Rangers and FC to ensure foolproof security during public gatherings of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and opposition Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) in the city.

An official said the decision to this effect was taken in a meeting presided over by Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid and also attended by Advisor to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan as well as senior officials of the Interior Ministry. The meeting decided that to summon police personnel from Punjab and KP provinces to assist Islamabad police, he said.

He said the ministry also summoned additional force of Rangers and FC. Around 2,000 personnel of Rangers and 1,000 of FC have already been deployed in the city since March 20 to April 2.

The office said that a control room had been set up in the Interior Ministry for monitoring security of the public gatherings in the city.

Rashid directed the district administration to ensure that the political parties hold their public gatherings in designated places and it should not affect public movement in the city.

Meanwhile, the capital administration has granted permission to both the ruling PTI and the PDM to hold separate public gatherings in the city on different dates and at different venues.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022