ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed met Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad on Tuesday, and briefed him on the situation surrounding the protest by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) outside the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
In the meeting, the interior minister apprised the prime minister of the measures taken by the government to ensure the peaceful occurrence of the protest.
The PDM leadership accompanied by the parties’ workers will hold a gathering outside the ECP in Islamabad today to assert pressure on the Election Commission to announce its long-awaited judgment in the Foreign Funding Case against the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Earlier in the morning, the PML-N Spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb told media representatives that all rallies staged by various political parties under the PDM will converge at Kashmir Chowk at 01:00 pm, and late they all will march towards the ECP.
Though the PDM will congregate at the Capital’s Red Zone for a few hours; however, the protest participants have no plan to stage a sit-in.
To ensure that no untoward situation occurs, more than 1,800 security personnel have been deputed under the Supervision of the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Operations to secure the Red Zone while all entry and exit points to the highly sensitive area have been sealed.
In addition, Rangers personnel have also been deployed on security duty.
وزارت داخلہ میں کنٹرول روم قائم.
وزیر داخلہ شیخ رشید کا صورتحال خود مانیٹر کرنے کا فیصلہ. شیخ رشید کا سیکرٹری داخلہ یوسف نسیم کھوکھر کے ہمراہ کنٹرول روم کا دورہ
کنٹرول روم میں سہولیات کا جائزہ لیا. کنٹرول روم سے اسلام آباد کو مانیٹر کیا جائے گا. pic.twitter.com/2WlSgkApcr— Sheikh Rashid Ahmed (@ShkhRasheed) January 19, 2021
Meanwhile, Sheikh Rashid undertook a visit to a Control Room established at the Interior Ministry to monitor the law and order situation in the Federal Capital.
In his remarks, the minister said that it is the first time that such a demonstration has been allowed on the Constitution Avenue. He expressed hope that the opposition parties will hold a peaceful protest outside the Election Commission.
The interior minister also visited the Election Commission of Pakistan and reviewed the security arrangements there.
