Islamabad police seek right to self-defence

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Police on Wednesday wrote a letter to the Interior Ministry, asking permission for an armed response in case the anti-riot police comes under “lethal” attack(s) by the protesters of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI).

However, sources in the Interior Ministry confided that it would be difficult to grant such blank permission. Besides, nobody is allowed to carry firearms inside the Red Zone, where a legal restriction has been imposed.

The letter written by the office of the Inspector-General of Police of Islamabad Capital Territory mentioned that “there is credible information from open sources in the news channels and public statements of supporters and officeholders of the PTI about the unlawful use of lethal weapons, lethal pointed batons, catapults, and other weapons” by the protesters against the police and other law enforcement agencies.

The letter said that there are reports that unlawful paraphernalia is being amassed on the boundaries of ICT in the jurisdictions of KP and Punjab provinces. An audio recording leaked by the Interior Minister suggested that a prominent PTI leader from KP was talking about bringing arms and ammunition.

Similarly, the top PTI leadership is publicly threatening physical retaliation in their speeches as well as on live shows on electronic media in case violence breaks out in their march or the possible “sit-in.”

Alleging that there was a “high likelihood of violence as per arrangements by the PTI leadership,” the IGP Islamabad has requested the Interior Ministry to accord necessary guidance for the deployment of armed units during the upcoming PTI long march, exercising the right to self-defence as per the law. A few days ago, the civil intelligence agency warned the law enforcement agencies and civil administration about the planned clash between the police forces of Islamabad and KP at Toll Plaza near Sangjani, which falls in the jurisdiction of Punjab Province.

The intelligence agency had recommended adopting all possible measures to avoid the clash, adding that the KP police, equipped with weapons, had been deployed with the PTI marchers to guard the political dignitaries and should not be allowed to enter the premises of the Islamabad Capital Territory.

In a letter written to the Ministry of Interior, the IGP Islamabad has reiterated that “all the integrated deployment units, including the Islamabad Capital Police, the Frontier Constabulary, Rangers, and others, will discharge their duties without any fear and with full care for the people as per the law to perform their duties.”