ISLAMABAD: Ahead of the much-touted Pakistan Day parade – to be held in the capital on March 23 – the police and administration are looking to shut down life in the capital until after the parade, in a bid to ensure foolproof security.

According to a notification issued by the office of the senior superintendent of police (SSP), Islamabad, activities including wedding ceremonies, fireworks displays, celebratory firing, kite-flying and pigeon-flying will be strictly banned in the capital.

In addition, all wedding halls, guest houses and hotels, roadside restaurants and kiosks in the capital will be shut down while work on all construction sites will be delayed until after the parade.

Capital admin, police don’t see eye to eye on stringent measures proposed to secure the city

Media organisations and other enthusiasts have also been asked to refrain from flying remote-controlled drone aircraft in the capital’s airspace during this time.

However, police officials told Dawn that police and the capital administration disagreed over the security measures proposed for the Pakistan Day parade.

According to the notification, the parade will be witnessed by VVIPs, dignitaries, Pak Army personnel and citizens and added that, “in view of the current security scenario and terrorism incidents the possibility of any untoward incident cannot be ruled out (sic).”

The notification asked all zone superintendents of police to ensure that the instructions are implemented, adding that, “a compliance report in this regard be sent to undersigned through security branch of this office within three days positively”.

In response, station house officers of all the police stations who received the notification distributed it to owners of marriage halls, guest houses, hotels, motels and inns and directed them to cancel their operations and revoke bookings between March 17 to 24.

The managements were also asked to keep their buildings empty during this period.

Failure to comply with the order would result in strict legal action and the buildings would be thoroughly checked by police teams to ensure compliance.

Police patrols have also been directed to implement the directives and pay surprise visits to halls, hotels, motels, inns and guest houses to ensure compliance, a senior police officer told Dawn.

He denied that any such instructions had been issued to leading hotel chains that operated in the capital, saying that “criminals and terrorists cannot use such expensive services”.

An officer of the capital administration told Dawn that the police were in better position to comment on such measures, which he said were not necessary.

“Owners of a number of halls, guest houses, hotels and motels have approached us and lodging complaints against the police orders,” he said.

“The police were verbally asked to withdraw the notification and issue another one to avoid a massive inconvenience to the people,” he said.

It had been earlier decided that strict security measures would be mounted within a five kilometre-radius of Parade Ground, near Faizabad, but later it was decided that the Expressway, Park Road and Murree Road would be closed down on March 19, 20 or 21.

Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2015

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