Rally safety: APML rally secured, Difa-i-Pakistan left to volunteers

200 constables and 10 snipers deployed around Nasser Bagh, 500 wardens deployed on roads leading to Minar-i-Pakistan.

LAHORE:

While the police blocked off roads and searched people heading to the All Pakistan Muslim League rally leading to Nasser Bagh, security at Minar-i-Pakistan for the Difa-i-Pakistan Conference was mostly left to volunteers on Sunday.

Eighty two wardens were deployed at the roads leading to Nasser Bagh to block traffic. Civil Lines Superintendent of Police (SP) Umer Saeed said that 200 constables and 10 snipers had been deployed around Nasser Bagh.

Meanwhile, around 500 wardens were deployed on roads leading to Minar-i-Pakistan to maintain traffic flow. Some 150 volunteers were left largely in charge of security.

There were scuffles at the Ravi toll plaza, with many vehicles heading for Minar-i-Pakistan refusing to pay the toll, said police officials. They said that they did not intervene for fear of making the situation worse.

City Traffic SP Mustafa Hameed said that there were no major jams despite the added traffic for the rally because it was a Sunday. He said that no roads leading to Minar-i-Pakistan were blocked.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 19^th, 2011.