March 1, 2006	Wednesday	Muharram 30, 1427

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window).

ISLAMABAD, Feb 28: The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will oversee the security arrangements being made in the capital city for the forthcoming visit of President George Bush, sources told Dawn on Tuesday.

An advance party of the FBI has already arrived to check the security plan, the sources in the capital administration said. The bureau’s team would be assisted by the personnel of the police, Rangers, Punjab Constabulary and Frontier Corps, the sources said.

The entire capital would be sealed and the Constitution Avenue would be declared ‘no go area’ during the visit.

However an official in the interior ministry said that there was no plan to seal the entire Islamabad during President Bush’s visit.

“No extraordinary security measures are being taken for the US president’s visit. Only the Constitution Avenue will be closed for public”, Secretary, interior, Syed Kamal Shah told Dawn.

The government has so far not announced the exact arrival time of the US president. But he is expected to arrive in the federal capital in the night between Friday and Saturday.

The sources said Islamabad Airport would also be sealed for a day and no flight would be allowed to land or take off.

They said President Bush was likely to stay in the US embassy located in highly protected Diplomatic Enclave.

The security personnel would also be deployed at the Margalla Hills. A local holiday is likely to be announced and all offices and schools will remain closed during Bush’s visit.

Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration has also made a traffic plan to divert traffic on alternative roads. A large number of law enforcement agencies’ personnel would be deployed in the capital to avoid any protest planned by some religious parties.

Muttahidda Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) has announced holding of country-wide protests with the biggest one in Islamabad on March 3 against publishing of sacrilegious caricatures in some European newspapers.

However, the government has not given permission to the MMA to hold protest demonstration.