KARACHI, Sept 29: Referring to a report suggesting that during President Asif Ali Zardari’s last visit to the city, the presence of the Rangers personnel along the VVIP route was negligible, the Sindh Rangers have clarified that there were 498 men deployed along the route.

A statement issued on Sunday said that the VVIP visit was covered from the airport to the Baloch Colony bridge in the phase-I and from the bridge to the “Zardari House” in the phase-II.

For the duty in the phase-I, there were 104 men riding mobile vans, 12 posted in pickets, 24 deployed on bridges and 65 constituted the quick reception force.

For the duty in the phase-II, there were 160 men riding mobile vans, 48 posted in pickets, 22 deployed on rooftops and 64 constituted the quick reception force, it added.