Protest preparations: Anti-riot training continues in Pindi

Police ready to block routes leading to Islamabad on Nov 2

RAWALPINDI: The city police are continued with intensive anti-riot training at Police Lines on Sunday ahead of possible clashes which may occur when Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers converge on Islamabad.

City Police Officer Israr Abbasi supervised the special riot training at Police Lines. The CPO also directed all deputy superintendents of police to provide training to police personnel.

The training components included learning how to fire teargas shells, dodging stones thrown by protesters, and the proper way to conduct a coordinated baton charge.

On November 2, a police official said they would block GT Road at Missa Kaswal in Gujar Khan. Another blockade would be set up at Mandra Toll Plaza, while the last blockade would be at T-Chowk in Rawat, “from where no one would be allowed to enter the
twin cities”.

At GT Road coming from Peshawar, the police would try to stop PTI workers at Attock Bridge on the Indus River. The Rawalpindi police however would also place blockades at Tarnol to stop workers coming from Attock and from the motorway.

On November 2, police will also block all roads in Rawalpindi which lead to Islamabad. Benazir Bhutto Road, Islamabad Expressway, Saidpur Road, Khyaban-e-Sir Syed, Pirwadhai Road, and Peshawar Road would be blocked. For this purpose, the police on Saturday reportedly confiscated over 100 more containers, while the containers they seized earlier are still in their custody. The police said that they had obtained the required anti-riot gear to counter protesters on Wednesday.

Local PTI leaders, on the other hand, were tight lipped about their plans to reach at Bani Gala in Islamabad. No local leader or elected members of the PTI were ready to share their plans.

A local leader, however, told The Express Tribune that party workers in Rawalpindi would travel to Islamabad as individuals rather than in groups.

In this regard, they did not plan on gathering at any particular spot in Rawalpindi before heading for the capital.  “Instead, they would cross into the capital on their own and would gather at Bani Gala,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 29^th, 2016.