Twin cities brace for PTI march

High-level meetings on preparations for the PTI long march are continuing. A meeting of senior police and administrative officials, including the inspectors general of Punjab, Islamabad and Railways, was also held on Wednesday, where officials were briefed on preparations and the strategy was discussed.

In Rawalpindi Division, more than 43,000 police personnel will perform march-related duties in Attock, Rawalpindi, Murree, Jhelum and Chakwal. Of these, 30,000 personnel will be deployed in Attock. Around 14,250 personnel will be deployed at sealing points on the M-1 motorway, including Haroon Bridge, Ghazi-Barotha Motorway Bridge, Tower Hill, Hazara Motorway and Pathar Garh.

Another 11,450 personnel will be deployed at sealing points on the N-5 and N-80 routes, including Attock Khurd, Tarbela Road Jhansa, Haro Bridge, Jablat Bridge, Chaska Point and Khushal Garh. Around 5,000 personnel will be deployed at sealing points on the M-14 CPEC route, including Dhok Syedan Interchange and other M-14 points.

All personnel have been directed to perform duty equipped with riot-control equipment and kits. In Rawalpindi district, more than 10,000 police personnel will be deployed.

Around 3,100 personnel will be stationed at 26 entry points, 1,800 at 73 blocking points in the city area, 3,738 at 152 police pickets and 300 personnel on 50 roads and streets connecting the twin cities. Another 1,674 personnel will be deployed in responding teams across six sectors.

In Murree, 224 personnel will be deployed at 16 blocking points, while 1,400 personnel will be deployed at nine blocking points in Jhelum. Chakwal will have 352 police personnel at 10 blocking points. A survey of petrol pumps and hotels along the GT Road and motorway has also been conducted.

Within Rawalpindi, two petrol pumps and 23 petrol pumps were identified on the motorway and GT Road respectively, while there are two hotels on the motorway and 37 on the GT Road.

In Attock, five petrol pumps are located on the motorway and 63 on the GT Road, while there are nine hotels on the motorway and 64 on the GT Road.

Across the five districts of Rawalpindi Region, including Attock, Rawalpindi, Chakwal, Jhelum and Murree, 666 tear-gas guns, 52,118 long-range shells, 7,243 short-range shells, 1,529 splints, 1,531 gas masks and 1,693 gas-mask filters are available.

Additional equipment has been demanded, including 500 repeater guns, 57,000 rubber bullets, 710 tear-gas guns, 61,000 long-range and 10,000 short-range tear-gas shells, 1,200 tear-gas grenades, 7,150 gas-mask filters, 5,600 gas masks and 6,500 splints.

Authorities have also sought 4,050 Robocop anti-riot kits, 4,000 long transparent shields, 3,050 new-pattern helmets, 1,500 bulletproof helmets, 1,500 bulletproof jackets, 200 binoculars, 100 night-vision devices and barbed wire. For transport and logistics, six armoured personnel carrier (APC) vans, two water cannons, 20 prison vans, 50 megaphones and 12 quadcopters along with operators have also been demanded.

Additional surveillance equipment includes 12 quadcopters and their operators. Police personnel have already reached Attock. Supervisory officers have been directed to ensure security of the areas where the force has been deployed, with police personnel also assigned security duties in shifts.

Meanwhile, the Rawalpindi police and administration have sought Rangers' assistance for Rawalpindi Region and Mianwali. In Islamabad, preparations to deal with the PTI march are also at their peak.

The city will be monitored from the Safe City headquarters, while more than 200,000 bags of soil have been arranged along with 110,000 tear-gas shells and 1,300 rifles capable of firing tear gas.