Capital, Punjab ask ministry to call back army

The interim Punjab government and the Islamabad administration on Saturday asked the interior ministry to call back the army deployed at the two administrative units in the wake of PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s arrest.

Countrywide protests broke out after Imran was arrested from the Islamabad High Court premises on the orders of NAB in a graft case on May 9.

Rioters vandalised government properties and military installations and also attacked the GHQ and the Lahore corps commander’s house.

In view of the deteriorating law and order situation, the interior ministry approved deployment of the army in Punjab and Islamabad on May 10.

On Saturday, the Islamabad chief commissioner office sent a letter to the interior ministry asking it to call back the army from the federal capital, maintaining that the law and order situation was now satisfactory.

“The situation is now satisfactory in the ICT (Islamabad Capital Territory) and it is, therefore, requested that the requisition made vide the referred letter may be de-notified, in the best interest of public,” the letter stated.

Another letter to the ministry by the Punjab Home Department said that the interior ministry had approved deployment of the army in the province under Article 245, as well as Section 4(3)(ii) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 “for maintaining law and order situation across the Punjab province in aid of civil power”.

The letter stated, “Troops/assets of Pakistan Army may kindly be de-requisitioned with immediate effect under intimation to this department, please.” (With input from News Desk)