ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI: The capital police have arrested two persons for hanging banners inscribed with request to the people to join Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F)’s Azadi March, police said on Monday.

The banners further asked the people to march towards D-Chowk.

The two persons were arrested from Furniture Market, located in the area of Shams Colony, the police said. A police patrolling team spotted a gathering of over a dozen persons hanging the banners.

They arrested the two persons while others managed to escape. The police confiscated banners along with other stuff.

The suspects were shifted to Shams Colony Police Station where a case has been registered against them under PPC 188, they said, adding during interrogation they revealed that they came to Islamabad from Kohat where they were affiliated with a religious seminary.

Rawalpindi police have sent a list of 200 JUI-F workers, leaders to various police stations

According to sources, the capital administration and Rawalpindi police are gearing up for dealing with the Azadi March, and a strategy in this regard is in final stages.

The Rawalpindi police have sent a list of 200 workers and leaders of JUI-F to different police stations to keep a check on them and arrest themwhen the government gives their arrest orders.

A control room is being established at the Interior Ministry for better coordination among the provinces and the capital, the Islamabad police officers said, adding chief secretary and inspectors general of police of all provinces, chief commissioner and IGP Islamabad will coordinate with the control room and follow the instruction the room would issue to them.

The capital police have sent a request to the federal government seeking an additional 20,000 to 25,000 police personnel and grant of Rs50 million to bear the expanses of their transportation, accommodation and meal.

They also cut short the demand for containers from over 600 to 500.

If the capital police arrested leaders and workers of the JUI-F, they plan to keep them in Adiala and Attock jails.

The police also plan to declare few police stations or government buildings as sub-jail.

The Rawalpindi police have devised plan A, B and C to handle the trouble makers.

The City Police Officer Mohammad Faisal Rana told Dawn that the Rawalpindi police were fully prepared to handle the law and order situation.

He said: “We are fully prepared to handle situation and will not allow anybody to block roads and disturb public life.”

The CPO said all the divisional SPs would monitor the security measures put in place and no group or organisation would be allowed to enter Rawalpindi or to move towards Islamabad to challenge the law, the CPO added.

“We will place containers, barbed wires and barricades on roads from Gujar Khan, and have devised plans A, B to handle the violators of the law,” the CPO said in a press release.

The CPO while chairing a meeting with his SPs pledged to maintain the rule of law and to ensure the protection of the freedom of citizens at any cost.

On the other hand, the Regional Police Officer Ahsan Tufail on Monday visited Attock and held meeting with DPO Attock to review the strategy to counter upcoming Azadi March.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2019