Punjab police prepare for JUI-F’s ‘Azadi March’

To disseminate policy on ground, law enforcement agencies undertake duties head on

LAHORE: Punjab police are all set to deal with the opposition parties’ Azadi March, led by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam- Fazl (JUI-F), towards Islamabad.

The preparations include impounding of containers, devising strategies to contain protestors and issuing lists of potential violators. Other logistics involve barbed wires, tear gas shells, guns, water cannons, prison and vans.

A few days ago, the senior political leadership of the province and the centre deliberated over dealing with this situation. To disseminate the policy and strategy on ground, law enforcement agencies, mainly police commanders, will also undertake duties head on.

Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Arif Nawaz Khan conducted a video conference on Thursday with the top command of the force.

An officer of additional inspector general (AIG) rank told The Express Tribune that the political government had yet not conveyed any clearly demarcated policy to them. “However, the force has been asked to remain on alert to deal with any possible situation whenever ordered to do so.”

The police’s ‘witch hunt’, in which vehicles are unnecessarily impounded, has invited a lot of wrath from transporters of goods.

Pakistan Goods Transport Company General Secretary Nabeel Tariq Mehmood termed the crackdown unprecedented. He alleged that at least 10,000 containers had been impounded throughout the country so far.

“There has been impounding by governments earlier, like at the time when the previous regime was dealing with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) sit-in in Islamabad, he added. “However, at that time, police allowed loaded vehicles to pass. During the recent crackdown, any vehicle on the road, whether loaded or otherwise, is being impounded.”

“We staged a protest on Wednesday and Thursday to make our concerns heard,” he explained. “If the impounded vehicles were not returned within 24 hours, we will call for a countrywide strike. The issue has been raised for over the last four days.”  Meanwhile, an emergency meeting of the association was also held to devise a strategy to deal with the impounding of the containers. The meeting was chaired by the company’s president Muhammad Aleem Butt.

The meeting reached a consensus that if the containers were not released, commercial activities will come to a halt and roads would be blocked in the country. “It will lead to a shortage of food supplies and live-saving medicines. The government will be all responsible for the situation,” the meeting concluded.

As part of other arrangements, lists have also been prepared and disseminated. Punjab police was also working on bringing in other logistical support including prison vans, barbed wires, water cannon trucks, tear gas shells and anti-riot forces.

Earlier, the reserved force of Punjab Constabulary training schools was called in to add to the strength of personnel in different districts of Punjab.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 26^th, 2019.