ISLAMABAD, Jan 12: While the government has not come up with a clear policy regarding the Tehrik-i-Minhajul Quran (TMQ) long March, on January 14, 2013, the communication gap between Islamabad and Rawalpindi administration continues to increase.

While Islamabad administration has made contingency plans to stop marchers from entering the city, Rawalpindi administrators fear that in such a scenario the responsibility will fall on its shoulders.

Officials from both — Islamabad and Rawalpindi administration — fear that if there is lack of coordination, the long march may be a repeat of September 21, 2012, blasphemous film riots, when protestors were able to cross city limits and wreak havoc on whatever came their way.

Islamabad Administration

Talking to Dawn, an officer of Islamabad administration said that it will be easier to intercept the long march outside the city as in this regard only Islamabad Highway will be blocked from Rawat or Kashmir Highway from Tarnol, instead of making hurdles inside the city.

The officer said that historically the Islamabad Expressway — Faizabad to Airport Road — is the police’s ‘Waterloo’, “the police always gets beaten up on that route because locals also join in.”

Police officers are of the view that “it is impossible to stop protestors, once inside the city, while marching towards D-Chowk.”

However, there is no direction from the government. The officers in the administration are of the view that the “direction from the government is likely to be received on the evening of January 13” — last minute.

So far, according to an official, preparations have been “container centric.” Over forty-one containers were brought and the Red Zone has been sealed.

On the other hand, the capital police, as officially requested, got the additional manpower of 9,470 personnel – 2,000 from Azad Kashmir, 1,470 from Punjab, 4,000 from Frontier Constabulary (FC) and 2,000 from Rangers – along with five reserves of women police from Punjab and Azad Kashmir. However, KPK denied the request of the capital police for sending 2,500 personnel due to security situation.

Besides, Pakistan Army was also called in the city, although they will remain on stand by and move only on the direction of the administration.

Rawalpindi Administration

On the other hand, Rawalpindi administration fears that denying marchers entrance in Islamabad will shift the expected violence to Rawalpindi.

Like the federal government, the provincial government also has no plans, so far, to stop the marchers.

District Coordination Officer (DCO) Saqib Zafar said: “Though the provincial government has no plan to stop the marchers in its administrative control areas adjacent to the capital city, the local administration had made plans to avoid a backlash — if the Islamabad administration stopped the participants of the long march,”

The DCO said that the administration was likely to impose section 144 in the district and erect containers on three points: Pirwadhai, Faizabad and Rawat. He said that the final decision will be taken on Sunday morning after talks between Dr Tahirul Qadri and federal government’s representatives in Lahore.

About Faizabad areas — bordering the twin cities — the DCO said that the pedestrian bridge over Murree Road at Faizabad was the border between Rawalpindi and Islamabad and the participants will gather at Faizabad, not in the limits of Rawalpindi.

He said that the TMQ leaders were informed about the security threats and requested Dr Tahirul Qadri not to expose himself, during his expected speech at Gujar Khan.

The Commissioner and DCO also requested TMQ not to gather in front of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) offices, commonly known as Hamza Camp at Shamsabad on Benazir Bhutto Road and pass the area immediately or in a peaceful manner.