RAWALPINDI: Police have constituted a team and sought footages of the close circuit television (CCTV) cameras installed around Katchery Chowk and other parts of the cantonment where banners calling upon the army chief to stay in office even after his retirement were found hanging on July 11.

The Civil Lines police initiated the move after registering an FIR on the complaint of a member of the Rawalpindi Bar Association, Raja Nabeel Ahmed Satti, on Monday. The complainant accused the ‘Move on Pakistan’ party leaders of hatching a conspiracy against democracy.

The banners with the photographs of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif were installed by the party at Katchery Chowk, Haider Road and other roads leading towards the general headquarters (GHQ).

Later, the banners were removed by the police Special Branch and other intelligence agencies.

Mr Satti in his complaint claimed that the banners were a conspiracy against the government and the democratic process in the country.

“The lawyers’ community is deeply concerned over the hanging of the banners which were found at Katchery Chowk and along the road leading towards the Parliament House,” he stated.

“The Constitution of Pakistan and the Supreme Court’s full bench have already ruled that army cannot impose martial law in the country. And hangings of banners are a conspiracy against the army and democracy which is being hatched by unidentified people.”

After registering the FIR, the Civil Lines police formed a team to investigate the matter and trace the individuals behind the banners.

“A police team will try to calculate the numbers of banners found in different parts of the garrison city. In this regard, CCTV camera footages of the individuals involved in hanging of the banners have been sought,” Superintendent of Police Attique Tahir told Dawn.

He said the footages of the CCTV cameras installed at Katchery Chowk would help the police identify the individuals involved in hanging of the banners.

The SP said the police were trying to locate any office of the political party and its workers in the city.

“Police have been questioning people living in the areas where the banners were found to help the police trace the individuals,” he said, adding, however, no arrest had been made so far.

Ali Hashmi, the organiser of the political party, told Dawn that he formed the party on January 7, 2013, and got it registered with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

“I can’t count the number of banners but it could be in thousands,” he added.

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2016