LAHORE - Capital City Police Officer Muhammad Amin Wains yesterday said that a comprehensive security plan would be put into practice to ensure foolproof security for the PTI’s protest rally in Lahore.
The city police chief said that at least 5000 policemen would be deployed on security duties to maintain peace and law and order in the metropolis. At least eight divisional SPs, 20 DSPs, and 72 station house officers would remain on their toes to provide best security cover to the participants in addition to some 200 upper subordinates.
The CCPO was talking to reporters after presiding over a meeting at the Polices Headquarters Qila Gujjar Singh yesterday. DIG Haider Ashraf and DIG Sultan Chaudhry were also present on this occasion besides other officers.
The civil defense officials, rescue workers, and bomb disposal squads would also help police maintain security at the venue.
Wains said that the city police were put on high-alert across the provincial metropolis in the wake of terror attacks in Peshawar and Mardan.
The officer directed the police to deploy snipers or sharp-shooters on the rooftops of buildings located on the route of the rally, from Shahdara to Mall Road. Hundreds of plainclothesmen would also be deployed on the Mall and its adjacent arteries to keep the situation under control.
The police would seal several roads leading towards the Faisal Chowk by putting roadblocks, barriers, and fences on Saturday morning. The vehicular traffic would be diverted towards the alternative routes. The participants would be allowed to enter the main venue after physical search at three different checkpoints.
DIG (Operations) Dr Haider Ashraf will supervise the security arrangements in the field while the central control room would be activated in the morning. Several police commandoes will also be deployed on the rooftop of nearby buildings on the Mall Road to deeply monitor the movement of suspected elements.