By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The government has authorized the deployment of army troops in central Punjab province to restore law and order following violent protests sparked by the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, the Interior Ministry said on Wednesday.
Citing the powers conferred under Article 245 of the Constitution and Section 4 (3) (ii) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, the ministry’s order stated, “The Federal Government is pleased to authorize the deployment of Pakistan Army troops/assets for maintaining the law and order situation across the Punjab province in aid of civil power.”
Details regarding the number of troops/assets, deployment dates, and specific areas will be determined through consultation between the provincial government and the Ministry of Defense Directorate, General Headquarters (GHQ), the order added.
“The de-requisitioning of the deployment will be decided subsequently through mutual consultation between the stakeholders.”
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has also requested troops from the Ministry of Interior to maintain law and order in the province.
Authorities in three of the country’s four provinces have already imposed an emergency order banning all gatherings after supporters of the former premier clashed with police, blocked major roads in a string of cities, and stormed military buildings in Lahore, Peshawar, and Rawalpindi.
The Islamabad administration later also imposed Section 144 in the capital territory.
Local media reported that “significant decisions were made during a meeting of the (Punjab) Provincial Intelligence Committee chaired by the additional Chief Secretary of the Home Department, aimed at tackling the law and order challenges throughout the province.”
Authorities have reported the arrest of hundreds of supporters of the ousted prime minister for their involvement in acts of violence.
Mobile data services have been shut down for the second consecutive day, and disruptions have been observed on social media platforms such as Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.
Schools also remain closed, some highways have been blocked, and there is little traffic plying roads in major cities.
Police have carried out raids and arrested supporters of Khan’s party in the hours since his detention.
According to police, 945 PTI supporters have been arrested in Punjab province, where 25 police vehicles and over 14 government buildings were set on fire.
Asad Umar, the secretary-general of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, was among those arrested.
“We will not tolerate such actions, and the law will take its course,” said Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal during a news conference. “These violent attacks were not the result of a spontaneous outpouring from the public; rather, they were planned by the PTI rank and file.”
PTI vice chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the party’s senior leadership was in Islamabad to meet with Khan and would approach the Supreme Court to challenge a recent Islamabad High Court ruling that deemed Khan’s arrest legal.
Qureshi took to Twitter, urging PTI party members, supporters, and the people of Pakistan to engage in peaceful protests against what he called “unconstitutional behavior.”
Qureshi expressed shock at the government’s move to deploy troops in Punjab.
“When the Supreme Court had sought security personnel for election duty, it was told that the deployment was not possible because of the country’s internal security situation,” he said in a video message on Twitter. “How are they now deploying the army?” Qureshi questioned.
PTI chairman is currently detained at a police guesthouse in Islamabad, where tight security measures are in place. The guesthouse is serving as a courtroom.
The party claimed that Khan has not been granted access to legal counsel and stated that they would challenge the legality of his arrest in court.
Former premier will appeared before a special court hearing after arguments from the government and Khan’s lawyers, the court will announce its verdict at a later time, a spokesperson for the National Accountability Bureau said.
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