LAHORE, March 20: Police contingents are being deployed in and around the Lahore High Court and on The Mall to avert any untoward incident on the occasion of the lawyers’ protest rally on Wednesday.

The Punjab government, after talks with the lawyers’ community, has allowed them to march on The Mall up to Regal Chowk.

A source told Dawn that around 4,400 officials would be on duty in and around the LHC and at all important and sensitive government buildings and crossings on The Mall after 7am. Several reserves of the anti-riot police and some armoured vehicles would also be the part of deployment.

A meeting of the divisional superintendents of police and supervisory police officers was held under the chair of SSP operations Aftaab Cheema on Tuesday night to finalise security arrangements.

The SSP directed the officers to avoid use of force against the lawyers and handle the rally tactfully.

It is learnt that a fresh list of those leaders and activists of opposition parties (PPP and JI) was reviewed at the meeting who could join the rally. The SSP directed the officers to raid the houses of these activists and take them into custody to stop them from joining the rally.

These teams had rounded up over 100 activists of the PPP, the JI and the PML-N till the filing of this report at midnight.

When contacted, capital city police officer additional IG Malik Iqbal said the police would take all necessary steps for the protection of government buildings and life and property of the citizens. —Staff Reporter