Islamabad was placed on high alert on Sunday, with security tightened across the federal capital and especially in and around the Red Zone, as authorities moved to guard against any unrest following the imposition of emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Police personnel were deployed at around 7 in the morning, drawn from the Islamabad, Sindh and Punjab police, and fanned out across the city. Business Recorder quoted a senior police official as saying that around 6,000 personnel from the Islamabad Police, the Sindh Police and the Frontier Constabulary had been deployed across the capital.
What the high alert involves
Entry to the Red Zone, which houses the Diplomatic Enclave, Parliament House, the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, the Supreme Court and other key institutions, has been restricted. A heavy contingent of police has been stationed on all roads leading to the Red Zone as well as in other parts of the city.
Commandos of the city police, lady police, mobile patrolling teams, the Anti Terrorists Squad and the Bomb Disposal Squad have been deputed at different locations across the capital. Security personnel are also conducting random checking of vehicles entering and leaving the city, with enhanced screening at all entry and exit points.
Police contingents along with prisoner vans and armoured personnel carriers were seen at Faisal Masjid, the Aabpara police station, Serena Hotel, Pir Sohawa, Chand Tara, Club Road and Seventh Avenue, according to Dawn.
Key installations and hospitals under watch
The Security Division has been made responsible for security in the high security zone, the Diplomatic Enclave and key installations. These include the Presidency, the Foreign Office, the Prime Minister’s House and Secretariat, Nadra, the State Bank, Parliament House, the Cabinet Division, Pak Secretariat, the Judges’ Enclave, the Ministers’ Colony and the Supreme Court, as well as the entry and exit points of the high security zone.
Meanwhile, Pims, the Polyclinic, the CDA Hospital and private hospitals have all been placed on high alert. The Special Branch has been assigned the collection of advance intelligence, while the Logistics Division has been tasked with providing vehicles, prisoner vans, handcuffs and anti-riot gear, including tear gas shells and rubber bullets, along with armoured personnel carriers, containers and food at deployment points.
Safe City authorities have been directed to monitor law and order duties in the field and to keep locations under surveillance through cameras.
Section 144 imposed in the capital
The district administration has also imposed Section 144 in the city, which restricts public gatherings. According to Business Recorder, strict directives have been issued to the police to take immediate action if banners appear or crowds gather at any location, and to arrest those violating the ban.
The administration said the ban also applies under the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act, 2024. Violations of the act may carry a prison sentence of up to three years, a fine, or both.
Why the capital is on edge
The alert follows Saturday’s dramatic political development, when President Asif Ali Zardari imposed an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under Articles 232 and 234 after the federal cabinet approved the move, effectively suspending the PTI-led provincial government. On Sunday, Dr Fakhr Alam Irfan was appointed the new chief secretary of the province as the federal government moved to take administrative control.
The federal government has also notified the deployment of the Pakistan Army in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under Article 245 to assist the civil administration and protect public installations for the duration of the emergency, Pakistan Today reported.
Opposition parties have rejected the emergency as unconstitutional and undemocratic, and PTI supporters have threatened to march on Islamabad in the coming days. Dawn’s live coverage noted that internet disruptions were being reported from parts of Peshawar, with the watchdog NetBlocks recording a major disruption to connectivity in the province as the emergency was imposed.
What residents should expect
Motorists should expect checkpoints, random vehicle inspections and delays on roads leading to the Red Zone and at the city’s entry points. Residents have been advised to avoid restricted areas, carry identification, and follow official advisories as the security situation develops.
With today’s USD to PKR exchange rate in Pakistan and markets watching the political situation closely, traders will also be keeping an eye on PakMirror’s latest national news coverage for further updates on the emergency and its fallout.
