KARACHI, 9 November — Thousands of police and paramilitary troops were deployed throughout the country yesterday ahead of a countrywide protest strike by religious parties opposed to US airstrikes against Afghanistan.
"Substantial police and paramilitary troops have been deployed, but it’s difficult to give you the exact figure," Sindh provincial Home Secretary Brig. Mukhtar Sheikh said.
Nearly 60 police checkposts have been set up in Karachi to deal with the strike called by the religious parties in the port city and elsewhere. An administration official, however, explained that the move was aimed at controlling crime.
These posts have been set up after incidents of attacks on police, and attempts to steal weapons from the armory. A local leader of the Jamiat-e-Ulema-i-Islam (JUI) Maulana Abdul Ghani, however, assured the administration that the strike will be peaceful. In fact the administration had reached an understanding with the religious parties over arrangements for rallies.
Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider nevertheless feels that protesters should be confined to previously allocated parks and playgrounds, and not allowed to come on the streets.
Observers feel that by declaring a holiday today to celebrate the birth anniversary of poet-philosopher Alllama Iqbal, the government had already taken the sting out of the protest.
Offices, banks, and commercial establishments, educational institutions, will all be shut. There will not be much activity in the city any way, said an official.
For the first time police have been directed to use water cannon to disperse protesters in case of violence, Sheikh said. "We have taken foolproof measures to counter any violence and will maintain law and order, come what may," Sheikh said, adding that the government would not allow any procession or rally.
The Afghan Defense Council, a coalition of religious parties, has announced demonstrations across the nation after Juma prayers to condemn the US-led airstrikes against the Taleban and Islamabad’s cooperation.
The council is planning a range of actions against US facilities in Pakistan in the days ahead, including storming the embassy and airports being used by US forces, he said.
