Punjab seeks Rangers deployment in four districts ahead of PTI march

The Punjab government has approached the federal government for deployment of the Rangers in four districts for nearly two weeks ahead of the PTI's long march on September 27.

The Punjab government sought the deployment of the Rangers in Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum and Mianwali from September 22 to October 5. The request comes after the PTI and Kissan Ittehad announced plans for long marches and sit-ins in Islamabad in the coming week.

The PTI has scheduled a long march for September 27, demanding the release of party founder and former prime minister Imran Khan.

In a letter sent by the Punjab Home Department to the Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control, the provincial government sought three companies of Pakistan Rangers for Rawalpindi. One company is proposed for Rawalpindi city and two for Taxila.

The letter also seeks five Rangers wings for Attock, while one company each has been requested for Jhelum and Mianwali. The proposed deployment would cover the period from September 22 to October 5.

The Punjab government has cited Article 245 of the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973, Sections 4 and 5 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, and Sections 7(b) and 10 of the Pakistan Rangers Ordinance, 1959, as the legal basis for the deployment.

According to the letter, the request was discussed in detail during the 59th meeting of the Punjab government’s Standing Committee of the Cabinet on Law & Order (SCCLO) held on September 20.