Islamabad, Pindi areas sealed to stop march

RAWALPINDI: The district administrations of Rawalpindi and Islamabad blocked the Faizabad intersection on Tuesday midnight while the law enforcement agencies began sealing areas and roads with containers to prevent the banned Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan’s (TLP) protesters from entering the federal capital territory.

On the other hand, the police started conducting raids at the residence/madressah of the chief of Rawalpindi chapter of the TLP to arrest him again, but he could not be arrested till the filing of this report.

The TLP leader was detained on Friday. However, he was released later when the government held a dialogue with the leaders of the banned party.

Out of the TLP activists arrested by law enforcement agencies from Rawalpindi and Islamabad since Thursday, only five were released from Adiala jail on Monday.

According to sources, police deployment was to be carried out in the garrison city before dawn and the roads blocked with containers and barbed wire to prevent any protest.

After Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid announced that the government could not meet the TLP’s demand for expulsion of the French ambassador from the country, the party said its activists would march on Islamabad.

The Punjab government directed the district police officers of Toba Tek Singh, Mianwali, Khushab and Bahawalpur to report to the Regional Police Officer of Rawalpindi Imran Ahmar, along with extra personnel, to assist the Rawalpindi range police to tackle the evolving law and order situation.