As soon as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) announced a protest at Liaquat Bagh for Saturday, the police sealed the Rawalpindi venue. The Metro bus service will also remain suspended today, the Islamabad Expressway has been blocked with containers and the police force is on duty at Faizabad.
A heavy contingent of police has been deployed at all entry points to Rawalpindi and barricades have been erected. The district administration has also asked for four companies of Rangers.
All important highways and routes in Rawalpindi and Islamabad to Faizabad have been closed by placing containers, due to which citizens are facing severe difficulties. The Expressway from Faizabad Bridge has been closed for all kinds of traffic, while commuters from Zero Point to Khanna Bridge are also facing difficulties.
Traffic going to T Chowk has been diverted from Faizabad to Rawal Dam. Containers have also been placed on the roads connecting to Murree Road.
On Friday, PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram had said that if they did not get the permission to hold a rally at Liaquat Bagh, they would still protest at the same place. The PTI leadership has directed its workers to reach Liaquat Bagh at 2pm.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur will also participate and lead it from the front, as the PTI leadership will reach Liaquat Bagh in caravans.
On the other hand, after the PTI's announcement of today's protest, sources say that the mobile service will remain suspended throughout Rawalpindi today. Motorway M1 and M2 will also be closed, while highways from Chakri, Bahtar, Taxila, and AWT will also be closed.
The Punjab government had earlier imposed Section 144 in Rawalpindi division for two days, while a notification for the deployment of Rangers has also been issued. Section 144 has been implemented to ban all kinds of political gatherings, sit-ins, meetings, demonstrations, protests and all such activities in Rawalpindi division.
According to the notification, the ban will be enforced on Saturday and Sunday. Section 144 will remain enforced in the Attock, Jhelum and Chakwal districts of Rawalpindi to maintain law and order, protect human lives and property.
On the recommendation of the district administration, six companies of Rangers will be deployed in Rawalpindi and Attock over fears of armed hooligans entering Rawalpindi.
