ISLAMABAD: As part of the security plans for the March 23 Pakistan Day military parade, heavy vehicles will not be allowed into the federal capital for 48 hours.

Police sources told Dawn that the ban will start at midnight on March 22 and trucks and other heavy vehicles heading for Islamabad will be diverted and those already in the security cordon will be restricted from moving.

Major roads within the city limits that connect to the parade venue will be closed to all traffic, except for the cars of those invited to attend the parade.

With Nadra’s assistance, the capital administration and police will install 20 CCTV cameras to watch the area from the temporarily established control rooms, the sources said.

Servicemen with metal detectors and sniffer dogs will also be deployed to check for suspicious elements and movements.

More than 325 traffic police personnel will be deployed to guide motorists to alternative routes to keep sections of the Murree Road, Kashmir Highway and Islamabad Highway around the parade venue clear of traffic.

In addition to security forces, 1200 “well-equipped” policemen will guard the venue, parts of Murree Road and Islamabad Highway from the Faizabad interchange up to Rawal Chowk and I-8 traffic signal.

Heavy traffic heading east would be stopped at Tarnol and Sangjani outskirts and diverted to The Mall and the Range Road of Rawalpindi and heavy traffic heading west will be stopped at Rawat and diverted to alternate routes.

These elaborate security measures are being put in place because of the same security concerns that prevented authorities from holding the Pakistan Day parade for the last seven years.

Published in Dawn March 10th, 2015

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