ISLAMABAD: Security around the container of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan was further tightened on Monday after reports of threats to his life.

Keeping in view the seriousness of the threat, the capital administration and the police also asked the organisers of the sit-in to strengthen their security apparatus, officials of the police said.

“The police have provided barbed wires to the organisers who also have arranged galvanised steel sheets to put around the container,” they added.

The security measures were strengthened in the afternoon with security men of the PTI plugging all gaps around the container.

Earlier, the container and its adjacent area were cordoned off with a frame of iron rods.

The steel sheets were installed with the frame adjacent to the container to plug the gap between the rods and block the inside view, the officials said, adding that barbed wires were also wrapped around the frame in front of the container.

Besides, the strength of the policemen around the container was increased to 250.

On Monday morning, over 1,000 police personnel were withdrawn from the sit-in venue due to shortage of manpower in the police stations.

But later the policemen were redeployed there along with the extra contingent of 3,000 personnel.

“In the present situation, only staff of the reporting rooms is available in the police stations to entertain the citizens,” they said, adding that the staff was also insufficient and working round the clock.

Officials in the capital police and interior ministry said the report about threat to Mr Khan’s life was shared with Pakistan by a friendly country.

It said an intelligence agency of a neighbouring country had planned to assassinate the PTI chief.

Meanwhile, tension gripped Constitution Avenue after the police intercepted some vehicles bringing food for the participants of the PAT sit-in.

Soon, however, around 100 to 150 PAT activists reached near Cabinet Block and forced the police to let the vehicles enter the sit-in site.

A police official requesting not to be identified said the vehicles were stopped to see how the PAT workers retaliated, and then a plan would be devised if the government directed the police to take action against them.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2014