ECC approves Rs410.181mn to deal with PTI’s ‘Azadi March’ in Islamabad

By Staff Reporter

ISLAMABAD: The government would spend Rs410.181 rupees to shield capital Islamabad from a protest rally planned by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

The Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet (ECC) on Monday approved two supplementary grants of Rs410.181 million for provisions of food, hiring of vehicles, and containers for personnel of law enforcing agencies to gear up for foolproof security arrangements.

In the first summary, the ECC approved Rs145.5 million for supplementary grants for additional buses and containers for Islamabad police force. The Islamabad Police has requested the government for provision of Rs2.5 million for rent of other buildings, Rs127.4 million for hiring of vehicles/containers and Rs15.625 million for POL charges of buses and other vehicles.

In the second summary, the government demanded supplementary grants of Rs264.61 million including Rs131.586 million for hiring of vehicles/containers, Rs35 million for food charges, Rs15.625 million for POL charges, Rs3 million for stores facilities and Rs15 million for other expenditure requirements.

The government also requires Rs64.4 million for procuring hardware of Safe City project.
The total cost of supplementary grants comes close to Rs264.61 million for foiling the attempt of PTI under Imran Khan for destabilizing the government.

The federal government will to call 30,000 personnel of LEAs from other provinces especially Sindh for security arrangements.

In the garrison city of Rawalpindi, former prime minister Imran Khan said PTI’s long march will be the biggest protest rally in Pakistan and also warned the government against stopping the party’s “Azadi March”.

Last week, the former prime minister had assigned PTI lawmakers the task of bringing thousands of people each to the march towards Islamabad which, in his words, could be announced at any time.

Khan was prime minister from 2018 until April this year when he was forced to step down after losing a confidence vote in parliament. Since then, he has been campaigning for new elections.