ANP will not give trust vote to president

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Two thousand Rangers officials have reached the federal capital on Monday and have been deployed at places on the route to Islamabad.

The Rangers officials have been directed not to allow anybody to enter the capital without identification. They have been directed to check driving licenses and vehicle documents and to arrest anybody who fails to prove his identity, sources said. Senior officials in the federal capital briefed the commandant and Rangers about their duties at Rescue 15. Meanwhile, the capital police with Rangers conducted a flag march on Monday night in various sectors of the city to show their strength. Another report adds: The government’s decision to seal Islamabad for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation summit for a week is worrying the general public.

Life is always busy in Islamabad. People have to move frequently inside and outside the city and many residents working in government offices and business centres have to come from Rawalpindi, Murree and other nearby cities. They were already facing travel problems because of the tight security after the December 25 suicide attempt on President General Pervez Musharraf in Rawalpindi.

During the summit, heads of the states from other countries along with other representatives are to stay in the city. For security purposes, the major sealed areas would be F-6, G-6 residential areas, Super Market and Melody Market. People coming from Murree, Kashmir, Rawalpindi and Peshawar would face entry problems as the main roads, areas near the convention centre and hotels where the guests would stay would also be sealed. Although the government was considering a public holiday in the capital during the proceedings, the government decided that would be too detrimental to business in the city. “Arranging security for foreign guests is our national duty and a slight mishap could spoil our reputation internationally, however, we should not risk our daily business for a week which could result in a loss of billions of rupees,” said Munawar Iqbal, a computer dealer in Islamabad. Arif Rasul, a local of Islamabad, said the government should provide alternatives to the public for moving throughout the restricted areas.

Home | National