Pakistan Deploys Army Ahead of SCO Summit; PTI Members, CM Gandapur Arrested

Oct 5, 2024, 05:37 AM

Pakistani authorities have deployed army troops in Islamabad and Punjab to maintain law and order ahead of the 23rd Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting. The federal government approved the deployment under Article 245 of the Constitution, and troops have been dispatched from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province in response to threats posed by anarchists. The Punjab government has invoked Section 144 in four cities and summoned the army to control the situation. Security forces arrested several workers and supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), including the PTI founder's sisters and women activists, from Islamabad's D-Chowk. Federal police have registered cases against the PTI chairman and 20 lawyers. Chief Minister (CM) Gandapur was arrested from the KPK House in Islamabad, and an Islamabad court issued non-bailable warrants for his arrest. The federal government decided to issue a warning to the KPK administration. The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) also arrested 18 terrorists in Punjab, belonging to banned organizations such as ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and TTP.