Nawaz government has okayed proposal to hand over Islamabad to Pakistan Army for three months from 1st of August. Apparently government took this decision to counter terrorist threats being faced by the capital amid Army’s operation against militants in North Waziristan.
“Pakistan Army is being called in under article 245 of the constitution to provide security to the capital for three months”, said interior minister Chaudhry Nisar.
However, political analysts term Nawaz government decision as a calculated move to counter Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Azadi March on 14th of August.
Opposition leader Khursheed Shah lambasted government’s decision to deploy Army in the capital. “Government must not try to stop Imran Khan from exercising his democratic right to hold a rally in Islamabad”, said Mr. Shah.
“If government can’t even handle the security of 1.2 million people, how could it keep the whole country secured?”, said Mr. Khursheed Shah while questioning government’s decision.
Former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani also criticized government’s decision to call in Army to the capital.
“Big NO to Army Deployment in Karachi Last Year”
Last year in September when Nawaz government was mulling over options for cleansing Karachi from target killers, extortionists, and other terrorists, Nawaz Sharif had forcefully rejected Army deployment in Karachi.
Karachi at the time was under total chaos where everyday 10 to 15 people being killed was beginning to be considered a norm. Even today, the situation is not much different and according to conservative estimates 20% areas of Karachi are thought to be under the control of Talibans.
Nawaz government was adamant that there was no need to call in army to do a job meant to be done by civilian law enforcement agencies. This is why Police and Rangers were used for this purpose.
Now government’s recent claim that Army is being called in to mitigate security threats faced by Islamabad, does not carry much credibility.
“If there was any genuine need for Army deployment, it was in Karachi,” say political analysts.
“Azadi March to go ahead as planned”
Sources within Tehreek-e-Insaf say that their Azadi March on Islamabad will take place as planned.
Nawaz government’s objective is to see a clash between Pakistan Army and PTI workers but this will not happen, they say.