Tahir Niaz & Israr Ahmed
islamabad/rawalpindi - The requisitioned additional force would start pouring in the federal capital from today (Wednesday) as security arrangements for the forthcoming Pakistan Day parade are in full swing with the mobile phone users facing difficulty in connectivity due to the installed jammers within a certain radius of the Parade Avenue near Faizabad.
Keeping in view the deficiency in the Islamabad police, the high-ups of the local police have requisitioned additional force to the ministry of interior so that foolproof security could be ensured for the military parade to be held on March 23. Accordingly, 1,000 personnel from Punjab police, 500 from AJK police, 500 from Frontier Constabulary (FC) and 50 Gilgit-Baltistan scouts are joining the local police, said police sources on Tuesday. They said that all the business activity, religious seminaries and educational institutions around the Parade Avenue and along Expressway would remain closed for four days (March 20-23) under section 144 already imposed in the federal capital. “The law enforcers have already been put on high alert, as full-dress rehearsal is likely to be held on March 20,” they added. Around 2,000 police officials would assist Pak Army before and during the parade. On the other side, the mobile phone users are facing difficulty in connectivity as the security agencies have made jammers around the parade avenue operational.
The step is part of the security plan so that terrorists could not benefit from the mobile phone for sabotage activities. The worst is yet to come for the mobile phone users as the authorities are planning to suspend the cellular service at certain towers on March 23, the police sources said.
Meanwhile, Rawalpindi police have intensified the hunt for suspects and criminals in several areas to provide foolproof security for the air show; scheduled to be displayed on Parade Avenue on March 23, reliable sources disclosed to The Nation on Tuesday.
Under the supervision of deputy superintendents of police (DSPs), a large number of police teams including ladies police were out to conduct door-to-door search operation in Potohar and Rawal Divisions, sources said.
The search operation was being conducted on special instructions of Senior Superintendent of Police (Operations) Karamat Ullah Malik according to the security plan devised for protecting the aeroplanes and the participants of Parade Day, sources added.  
The areas including Noor Khan Airbase, Gulzar-e-Quaid to Koral Chowk, Khanna Bridge, Kurree Road, Shakrial, Dhoke Kala Khan, Faizabad, Double Road, Bandh Khana Road, Chah Sultan, Rawal Road, Murree Road, IJ Principal Road, Khayaban-e-Sirsyed, Pirwadhai, Pindora, Fauji Colony and its suburbs would be monitored by police scanner. People living in houses and the hotels, motels, shops, go downs and rooftops would also be checked to make sure the security in connection with Parade Day, sources informed.
SSP (Operations) Karamat Ullah Malik, when contacted, confirmed that he had ordered a massive search operation to arrest the suspected elements residing in Rawal and Potohar divisions. The aim of the grand operation was to secure the aeroplanes, which would put air show on parade day. “Most of the planes would fly over these areas and police are all set to secure the aeroplanes,” he said.