Code of conduct: MQI, city admin reach agreement

MQI states that only the people mentioned in a list it provided to the Islamabad Police will be allowed on stage.

ISLAMABAD:

Minhaj-ul-Quran International (MQI) signed a code of conduct with the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration on Monday to ensure “foolproof security arrangements in letter and spirit” for the long march gathering in Islamabad.

According to the code of conduct, signed by TMQ Nazim Ahmed Nawaz Anjum, the organisation affirmed its participants will not go anywhere in Islamabad beyond the designated venue in Blue Area.

“No participant will enter the Red Zone or High Security Zone area,” the code stated.

MQI assured the ICT administration it will ensure none of the long march participants get involved in any violent activity or carry any weapons.

It also took responsibility for Tahirul Qadri’s safety. “We will ensure that Dr Tahirul Qadri remains inside the bulletproof vehicle at all times. While on stage, he will remain behind a bulletproof shield to ensure his security and avoid any untoward incident.”

They also agreed to form a security committee to cooperate with the local police.

The code of conduct also laid out basic security procedures – common for most high profile processions – such as a single entry point, volunteers detailed for body searching participants, and keeping a distance of 200 feet between participants and the stage.

MQI declared it “will ensure that the volunteers on search and security will remain vigilant till complete dispersal takes place”. It also assured the authorities that their vehicles will be parked in the designated parking areas and no participants will go towards D Chowk.

MQI has stated that only the people mentioned in a list it provided to the Islamabad Police will be allowed on stage.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 15^th, 2013.