September 27, 2003	Saturday	Rajab 29, 1424

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RAWALPINDI, Sept 26: Islamabad Capital Territory police have decided to call up military police (MP) and 4,000 regular police personnel from other parts of the country to perform ceremonial and security duty during the Saarc summit, official sources told Dawn on Friday.

As part of the security plan chalked out by the ICT police, 4,000 police personnel and 109 vehicles, including trucks and jeeps, will be required to perform security duty at the summit.

The ICT police currently have about 6,700 police personnel and 250 vehicles.

“The military police will perform escort duty,” a senior police official told Dawn.

The Saarc summit is likely to be held in Islamabad in January 2004. Besides Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, seven other heads of states of Saarc countries are scheduled to attend the summit.

As part of the security plan, the ICT administration has demanded Rs5 million from the federal government for boarding and lodging of the 4,000 police personnel and to provide fuel to the fleet of vehicles.

There had been past practice of calling reserve police from other provinces. This time, the reserve police are being called from the AJK, the NWFP and the Punjab province to help the ICT police, the police official said. “There is no any such consideration of seeking help from any foreign agency on the eve of Saarc summit.”

The police force from other provinces will arrive in the capital three days before the start of the Saarc summit and carry out rehearsal drills.

The reserve police will stay in the capital for one week, the source said.

The superintendent of police, traffic, will be responsible for traffic and security arrangements. Special traffic plan has also been chalked out for the summit.

As part of the security plan, police officers like ASP, SP and the DSPs will command the escorts, while police pickets will be established at exit and entry points. Police personnel will also be deployed at the roof-top of sensitive buildings.