October 06, 2007	Saturday	Ramazan 23, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Oct 5: People will be allowed free access to the Constitution Avenue on the occasion of the presidential election on Saturday but any attempt to protest the election would invite action under Section 144, local administration said on Friday.

“We have requested the lawyers’ community, the opposition parties and journalists to be peaceful and not to create any disturbance during the election. We hope they would cooperate with us,” Islamabad’s Chief Commissioner Hamid Ali Khan told Dawn.

His administration had discussed “a code of conduct” with the local opposition leaders and the lawyers who assured to honour the code, he said.

However, according to police sources, the law enforcement agencies expect protests by the opposition parties on the occasion.

Police have instructions to arrest people who try to enter the Constitution Avenue “in groups”, said the sources.

Though there would be no barbedwires and no road blockades, he said people would be allowed onto the avenue only after body search and vehicle checks.

Snipers would be positioned on the rooftops of the buildings in the vicinity of the Parliament House but the rest of the security forces deployed in the area would be invisible — unless any trouble breaks out.

Walk-though gates would also be installed at D-Chowk and near Supreme Court building to screen people who will proceed to the Parliament House.

Security sources said heavy contingent of police would be deployed around Parliament House with Armed Personnel Carriers (APCs).

SUICIDE ATTACK SCARE: The sources said there were reports that terrorists could strike in the vicinity of Parliament House on Saturday. “The objective of the security arrangements is only to foil attempts of terrorism and disturbance which may disrupt the election process,” he said.

An elaborate security plan has been chalked out in and around Islamabad, Senior Superintendent of Police Islamabad Taimur Ali Khan told Dawn.

The personnel of Islamabad police along with Rangers, Elite Force, Anti-Terrorist Squad and Punjab Constabulary have been deployed across the city, including the Constitution Avenue to avoid any untoward incident.

The SSP said checkpoints had been set up at all roads leading to the Constitution Avenue, including at Parliament Lodges, D Chowk, and Radio Pakistan.

Likewise, all the entrance points of the capital city have been put on surveillance, where heavy contingent of law enforcement agencies have been deployed to check people before entering the capital city, he added.

Pickets have been set up at business centres, shopping areas and markets to avoid any terrorist attack and law and order situation.