November 26, 2006	Sunday	Ziqa'ad 4, 1427

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LAHORE, Nov 25: Unprecedented security measures were witnessed in the city in the wake of Chinese President Hu Jintao’s visit on Saturday.

The police made high-level security arrangements when President Gen Pervez Musharraf also was present in the city. He would see the Chinese president off at the Lahore airport on Sunday.

The most sensitive road was the Mall where the state guest had to stay at a hotel and through which he passed for various ceremonies. From the Allama Iqbal International Airport to the five-star hotel on the Mall and on the passages leading to the Badshahi Masjid and Shalamar Gardens, police officials in uniform and plain clothes were deployed since 9am to avert any untoward situation.

Two hours before the passage of the president’s convoy through the Mall Road after his arrival, the traffic and passersby were barred to use the road and all its arteries leading to Cantonment area.

“There was a record deployment, especially in the Cantonment area after 9am as the army officials, police and traffic force were present to provide safe and smooth passage to the guest’s convoy,” said a police official who had to come to the city from the Rangers Headquarters.

Special army check posts were also established between the airport chowk and Fortress Stadium Chowk and on adjacent roads to extend VVIP protocol to the Chinese president.

No public transport was allowed on the Mall a day earlier (Friday), except the motorists who used the road at different intervals while the road between the Club Chowk and the Governor House Chowk was closed to traffic during the presence of Chinese president.

As many as 13 SPs, 45 DSPs, 90 inspectors, 850 SIs and ASIs and 4,000 other policemen were deployed for the VVIP protocol according to the original plan, but a strength of 800 officials was added later on.

At least 10 vehicles of the Elite Force, 20 vehicles of the Mujahid squad and 50 Muhafiz force motorcycles remained part of patrolling and deployed on fixed routes.

The operations police chief, Amir Zulfikar Khan, after detailed visit of routes as well as places on Saturday morning, decided to deploy additional force of 400 officials on

the rooftops of Badshahi Masjid, Hazoori Bagh and Lahore Fort.

He also issued directive to add 400 police officials to the already scheduled strength of 2,600 officials being deployed for the Chinese president’s Sunday’s visit to Haier Factory on Raiwind Road.