PTI’s long march: Elahi orders police to ensure foolproof security

LAHORE: A meeting at the office of chief minister of Punjab on Tuesday reviewed the security arrangements for PTI’s long march that would restart from Wazirabad on Thursday. Police officials presented a plan regarding the security of the long march. The meeting was attended by Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Asad Umar, Moonis Elahi, Umar Ayub and Hussain Elahi.

The CM instructed the police to ensure foolproof security arrangements and said that the participants in the march should be provided with full security, in every city from Wazirabad to Rawalpindi.

Snipers should be deputed on the rooftops of buildings along the route, he said. A strong force of 15,000 police personnel would be deployed on the long march route from Wazirabad to Rawalpindi.

Elahi ordered the police control room to actively perform its duties round the clock. “The long march should be monitored with drone cameras and a two-tier security fence should be arranged around the long march,” he said

Elahi asserted that there would be no compromise on the foolproof security of PTI leadership and the participants, and the use of bulletproof rostrum and bulletproof glass should be ensured on the container, and a new bulletproof container should be prepared. In this regard, the Punjab government will provide all-possible support, he said. He emphasised that foolproof security arrangements should be made at all costs and the police and administrative officers should be deputed for coordination in each district and additional police force should be called from other districts of Rawalpindi.

The CM said that other accomplices of the accused, who threatened to kill Imran Khan in Hafizabad, should also be brought to justice. “The police force is my team and I value their sacrifices,” he concluded.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that he lauds the sacrifices of police and clarified that he did not criticise the police department but expressed concerns about an individual in his speech. Imran Khan thanked the police twice for the excellent security arrangements in Gujranwala, he added.

Like the police, there are talented officers in every department and average officers too. There was a murderous attack on Imran Khan, and the delay in the registration of FIR caused public concern and questions were raised, he maintained. “My speech was misrepresented.”

Qureshi said that the lodged FIR has been rejected by everyone. Some elements are afraid of our long march, he added. Asad Umar said that the police provided the best security during the long march. We would maintain the best coordination with police during the long march starting from Thursday.

Mian Mehmood-ur-Rashid, Umar Sarfaraz Cheema, Chief Secretary Abdullah Sumbal, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Capt (retd) Asadullah Khan, Addl IG (SB), Addl IG (Operations), Punjab, CCPO, Lahore, Addl IG CTD, DG Rescue 1122, Commissioner Gujrat Division, DIG (Operations) Punjab, RPO Gujrat, DCs and DPOs of Gujrat, Sialkot, Wazirabad and Hafizabad attended the meeting, while commissioner Rawalpindi Division, RPO Rawalpindi, CPO, Rawalpindi and Jhelum’s DCs and DPOs participated in the meeting through video link.

Meanwhile, Rangers were deployed at the Governor’s House in Lahore in the wake of daily protests and storming of the building by PTI workers. The Governor’s House administration had written a letter to the Punjab government and DG Rangers, requesting them to provide more force for the security of governor, his family and staff.