PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government requested the Interior Ministry on Wednesday to deploy the military in the province under the constitution’s Article 245 to maintain law and order.
As per the letter written by the KP Home and Tribal Affairs department to the Interior Ministry, keeping in view the prevailing law and order situation and for the safety of life and property of citizens as well as the government installations and offices, the army soldiers should be deployed in the province.
It said that the armed forces would help the civil administrations and police maintain law and order.
As political unrest simmers in the wake of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman (PTI) Imran Khan’s dramatic arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust case, Punjab and Balochistan have also called in the army as violence claimed 4 lives and sent scores to hospitals in Peshawar with protests-related wounds.
Police have arrested hundreds of PTI supporters for violence in different parts of the country.
The emergency room doctors received four bullet-riddled bodies, according to a spokesperson for Lady Reading Hospital (LHR). While as many as 27 others were under treatment for traumatic injuries related to agitation.
Punjab government’s request approved
The Ministry of Interior has accorded approval to the Punjab government’s request for help by sanctioning ten companies of troops. It said that the army would assist the district administration in restoring law, and order situation.
The notification said that the date of the de-requisition of military deployment would be decided after mutual consultation between stakeholders.
