Rangers deployment in Capital extended to Oct 15 as PTI gears up for march

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi in a statement said the first phase of the long march would start on Sunday (today) from Gundi Chowk, Lakki Marwat. Talks between the opposition and the government end without any positive outcome, which means a deadlock persists amid PTI call for a long march on Islamabad from Sunday (today).

The deadlock between the government and PTI had shifted to counterterrorism-related administrative matters., the PTI was reluctant to accept certain administrative measures in areas affected by terrorism and was also hesitant over the government's position on counterterrorism strategy.

The sources said the government had made clear that progress on other issues would also remain blocked if there was no movement on the counterterrorism matter. Opposition leader Allama Nasir Abbas said a deadlock remains in negotiations with the government, matters will not be finalised until the meeting with the PTI founder.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also met with President Asif Zardari. He consulted with top political leadership and legal experts.

Earlier, authorities in federal capital sought to extend the deployment of 3,000 paramilitary Rangers in Islamabad until Oct. 15, official documents showed on Saturday, as the government and opposition held talks to defuse tensions ahead of a planned march by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s party.

The request comes as authorities maintain heightened security in and around the capital ahead of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) march, which is due to leave Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday. Shipping containers have been positioned to block key routes, as transporters complain of disrupted freight movement.