The Islamabad police have requested extensive anti-riot equipment, including thousands of tear gas canisters and rubber bullets, to prepare for the PTI’s planned protest on November 24. This follows the capital administration’s decision to extend the ban on 10 activities under Section 144 for an additional two months.
Police officials revealed that 22,000 security personnel and 1,200 containers have been requested to counter the protest, along with millions of rupees for meals and transportation for deployed forces.
The police have also demanded 40,000 long and short-range tear gas shells, 2,000 tear gas guns, 50,000 rubber bullets, 2,500 guns, and 5,000 anti-riot kits to bolster their preparations. Additional personnel from Punjab and Sindh police, Frontier Constabulary, and Rangers have been requested to ensure public safety and protect property, given the PTI’s plans for an indefinite sit-in.
Security plans under consideration include sealing extended high-security zones encompassing Third Avenue, Faisal Avenue, Margalla Road, and Khayaban-i-Soharwardi, and implementing extraordinary measures in the Red Zone. Potential measures include blocking toll plazas and creating multiple defense lines with containers, barbed wire, and anti-riot personnel at key entry points and throughout Islamabad.
Defensive setups are also being planned for Srinagar Highway, the Expressway, I.J.P Road, Murree Road, Faizabad, and other critical locations like Golra Mor, Khanna, and Rawat T-Cross.
PTI Central Information Secretary Shaikh Waqas Akram reiterated that protesters would remain in the capital until their demands were met.
Under Section 144, the extended ban prohibits gatherings of more than five people, processions, rallies, and the use of loudspeakers or sound systems except for Azan and Friday sermons. The restrictions also apply to the sale, purchase, and use of fireworks, carrying firearms, and distributing handbills or affixing posters.
