Police start preparations to handle JUI-F protests in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: The police forces have commenced preparations for upcoming protests and sit-ins of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) in the federal capital Islamabad likely on October 27, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

The personnel of the Anti-Riot Unit (ARU) of the Islamabad police department participated in training sessions held in two shifts at Police Line headquarters.

Special sessions were organised on a daily basis to train police officers for handling crowd to void any uncertain situation.

Police officers instructed the personnel to ensure their own safety during the mass gatherings and sit-ins besides barring those trying to disturb law and order situation.

Read: IHC hears plea against JUI-F ‘Azadi March’ in Islamabad

It is pertinent to mention here that Islamabad police department summoned additional contingents comprising 20,000 officials from other provinces for security measures of the federal capital.

Earlier in the day, the religio-political party, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam – Fazl (JUI-F), formally applied to get permission from the Islamabad administration to hold its “Azadi March” on October 27.

Senator Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, through his counsel Kamran Murtaza, submitted an application to Chief Commissioner of Islamabad Amer Ali Ahmad, asking for approval to hold the march, as well as security arrangements for participants.

Read: Maulana’s Azadi March could be a catastrophe: Ijaz Shah

“The JUI-F will be holding the Azadi March on October 27, 2019 at D-Chowk, Islamabad, exercising its democratic and Constitutional right under Articles 16 and 17 of the Constitution against the incumbent government,” reads the application.

JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had earlier announced that his party will begin its anti-government movement from “Azadi March”. He had asserted, “The entire country will be our battleground.”

However, the party’s supremo failed to garner opposition parties’ support so far. The Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz urged Rehman to delay the march, whereas, Pakistan People’s Party chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had said that his party would only extend moral support to the JUI-F cause.