ISLAMABAD – The federal government has approved the deployment of Pakistan Rangers in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) and several Punjab districts ahead of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s planned march towards Islamabad on September 27.
According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control, the deployment will remain in place from September 20 to October 5.
The notification said the decision was taken following requests from the Islamabad chief commissioner and Punjab’s Home Department. It authorised the deployment of an adequate number of Pakistan Rangers (Punjab) personnel in ICT and specified districts of the province.
The Rangers have been deployed under Sections 7(b) and 10 of the Pakistan Rangers Ordinance, 1959, as well as Sections 4 and 5 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.
The personnel will perform duties assigned under the relevant laws and may act in self-defence against threats or violent activity encountered while carrying out their responsibilities, according to the notification.
The interior ministry has also directed Rangers and police to take necessary action in self-defence in the event of attacks by armed or disruptive groups and to respond to any violent activity.
The move comes amid heightened security arrangements in Islamabad and Punjab ahead of the PTI’s announced protest march.
The Punjab government had earlier requested the deployment of Rangers in Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum and Mianwali from September 22 to October 5 to support police in maintaining law and order.
Authorities have also imposed Section 144 in Islamabad and several parts of Punjab.
Meanwhile, government and PTI officials have exchanged differing accounts over possible backchannel contacts ahead of the planned march.
PTI had been informed that the federal government would not permit the march to proceed into Islamabad and that certain confidence-building measures had been discussed through backchannel contacts.
However, Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry rejected the claim that the government had offered any confidence-building measures to the PTI.
He said that if such measures had been offered, there would have been no need for a long march, describing similar claims made by the party in the past as one-sided.
