Police in Islamabad have been ordered to clear major roads of containers put in place during recent protests. Inspector General of Police (IGP) Islamabad, Captain (Retd) Muhammad Sohail Chaudhry, wants normal traffic restored and relief for residents, according to the Associated Press of Pakistan. The IGP is the capital's most senior police officer.
The report, filed from Islamabad on Monday, 12 October, says the Islamabad road containers stood along main routes as a security measure. Chaudhry has told the officers responsible to take them away.
What the order covers
A police official told APP that the inspector general directed concerned officers to remove the Islamabad road containers from roads across the city. The official said the aim is to help motorists and bring traffic back to its usual flow.
The agency's story stops at the order. It does not state how many containers were deployed, which roads they occupied, or when the clearance should be finished.
Why they were placed
The same official described the containers as a precaution during the protest situation. They were part of security plans to maintain law and order, prepare for any possible disturbance, and keep the public safe.
APP did not name the protests or say whether they were continuing when the removal was ordered. The report is also silent on whether police will retain other security measures after the containers leave the roadside.
What happens on the roads next
Motorists and other residents who use Islamabad's major roads are the people this order is meant to help. Police have presented the removal as a way to ease daily movement after the protest arrangements.
Islamabad road containers can remain a hindrance until the instruction is carried out. APP has not published a list of cleared roads or a schedule, so drivers only know that the force has been told to restore normal traffic.
