September 23, 2008	Tuesday	Ramazan 22, 1429

ISLAMABAD, Sept 22: The government on Monday banned the movement of trucks in the federal capital without prior clearance and permission of the authorities concerned, a senior security official told Dawn on Monday.

The decision was taken at a high-level security meeting held in the backdrop of the devastated suicide bombing outside Marriott Hotel on Saturday.

According to the guidelines given by the interior ministry to the local administration, special stickers will be issued to trucks and other heavy vehicles being hired in different ongoing construction projects in the city. “There will be a complete ban on the entry of trucks in Islamabad before sunset,” the official said.

“Islamabad administration will not allow any truck to enter the city in day time. The heavy traffic will be allowed after Iftar.”

The trucks which use Islamabad as a transit route on their way to different destinations will be checked thoroughly and will not be allowed to enter into the city area but can pass through the main highways.

Although there is already a ban on the entry of trucks into the capital before sunset, this was being taken leniently by the police and the hotel bombing in which a dumper truck was used has once again made the security department realise that there should be a vigilant eye on the movement of HTVs in the capital. The meeting also decided to install close-circuit security cameras at all entry and exit points and important places to monitor the activities of suspects.