ISLAMABAD: The capital police on Monday formally made a request to the local administration to extend the Red Zone from Ataturk Avenue to Faisal Avenue upto Zero Point in a move to formalise a decision which the Ministry of Interior had already taken a couple of days back in the wake of the PTI’s long march.

The request has been made by Inspector General of Police (IGP) to the deputy commissioner through a letter, sources told Dawn.

The letter states that the senior superintendent of police (operations) in a recent meeting had recommended extension in the limits of the earlier notified area of “Red Zone” on the grounds that the a number of sensitive security installations, state institutions and head offices of private enterprises are located in sectors F-6, G-6, F-6, F-7 and E-7, including “residences/foreign missions and offices of diplomats”.

“The main business district of the capital and important business centers, Islamabad Stock Exchange, etc., are located outside the existing limits of the notified Red Zone area,” it says, adding major public and private health facilities also fall in the areas which need to be kept operational round the clock for people living in the existing Red Zone. It further says that “all routes leading to the Supreme Court of Pakistan and new Islamabad High Court building also need to be secured besides other state buildings.”

The IGP office has suggested to include the following areas in the extended Red Zone:

Faisal Avenue and Fazal-i-Haq Road from Khyaban Chowk to Express Chowk; Expressway Highway from Faisal Mosque Chowk to Zero Point; Srinagar Highway from Zero Point to Dhokri Chowk to the end of merging point of the road coming from Bhara Kahu and leading to Kashmir Chowk; Club Road from Dhokri Chowk to Kashmir Chowk, including Convention Centre and nearby residential area.

No processions or sit-ins shall be allowed in Red Zone as preferred locations for any peaceful activities, involving large gatherings are out of this newly extended Red Zone of the capital, says the letter.

The interior ministry has already banned gatherings and rallies inside the relevant areas through imposition of Section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

In October 2012, the then interior minister had decided to extend the Red Zone from Ataturk Avenue 5 to Ataturk Avenue 6 as part of precautionary measures against threats to the installations located in the important area. However, later the decision could not be implemented when some departments, including police, showed their reservations.

The Red Zone was earlier located in the limits of Secretariat police station and after the extension it now includes areas in the jurisdiction of Kohsar and Aabpara police stations and following the zone’s expansion the responsibility of security would be shared by three SHOs and two sub-divisional police officers.

Published in Dawn, November 1st, 2022