Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party plans to protest on Sunday, in view of which the government has approved the deployment of paramilitary forces from Friday to maintain security.
Khan is currently in jail, his party ‘Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’ (PTI) had last week called for a march with three demands. The party has three demands – release of the jailed party chief, action against the alleged ‘theft of mandate’ during the February 8 elections and restoration of the judiciary by repealing the recent 26th amendment to the Constitution.
The government has decided to deploy Pakistan Rangers and Frontier Constabulary (FC) troops in Islamabad from Friday under sections four and five of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
According to a notification issued by the Home Ministry on Wednesday, the exact number of troops, the date and area of their deployment and withdrawal ‘will be decided in consultation with the concerned stakeholders.’
Earlier, Islamabad Police, in a letter dated November 14, had requested for deployment of Rangers and FC personnel ahead of the rally. Meanwhile, PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram told reporters in Peshawar that protest is a fundamental right. “Nobody can take it away from us,” he said.
