By Staff Reporter
LAHORE: The Punjab government ordered the deployment of army troops on Saturday to maintain law and order during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Islamabad on Oct. 15-16.
The deployment will ensure security at airports, roads, venues, and surrounding areas, as well as protect foreign delegates, according to a Punjab Home Department notification.
“To maintain law and order and provide security to foreign delegates during the 23rd meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of States, armed forces, in conjunction with civil armed forces and police, will be deployed around air bases/airports, routes, venues, accommodations, etc., within Punjab’s territorial jurisdiction,” the notification stated.
“The military commander on the ground, in consultation with the police commander, will determine the exact contours of the armed forces’ deployment.”
The rules of engagement (ROEs) permit armed forces to take measures, including firearms use, as warranted by the situation.
Local commanders are authorized to respond to threats or attacks with measures including a show of force, warning shots, and return of hostile fire, the notification said. Armed forces can detain individuals committing or threatening to commit crimes in the absence of local police.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s coalition government has already deployed army troops in Islamabad to ensure security ahead of the SCO summit, maintaining law and order during this high-profile meeting.
Pakistan, under its rotating chairmanship, hosts the summit, bringing together leaders from Eurasian nations, including India, China, and Russia, to discuss trade, economic cooperation, security, and regional stability.
India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar will lead the New Delhi delegation after Pakistani authorities extended an invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
These security measures come amid recent protests by former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party in Islamabad and nearby Rawalpindi.
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