Islamabad and Rawalpindi will implement a five-day business closure from October 12 to 16 as part of security measures ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, The Express Tribune reported. The temporary closure will affect restaurants, wedding venues, cafes and snooker clubs.
To implement these measures, police officers are collecting security deposits from business owners, who are also called to police stations to post their deposits. Additionally, all cash and carry marts in the city will remain closed during this period.
Security measures are not limited to commercial facilities. According to the Express Tribune, authorities have decided that suspects in Adiala Jail will not be produced in court for the time being and hearings in important cases will be postponed until October 16.
Special forces and snipers will be stationed on the rooftops of high-rise buildings across the city to increase security. Pigeon flying and kite flying within a 3km radius of Noor Khan Chaklala Air Base have been completely banned, and work has begun to remove pigeon nets from rooftops. Authorities have already removed nets from 38 rooftops with the help of female police officers. Local civil defense officials have confirmed that pigeon nets will be removed from all areas by Friday 11 October.
To ensure smooth progress of the summit, the government also announced a three-day public holiday from October 14 to 16 in the twin cities. The measure was approved by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and is aimed at boosting preparedness. As a result, all educational and government institutions in Islamabad and Rawalpindi will be closed during this period.
The South African Summit, chaired by Pakistan, will be held in Islamabad on October 16 and 17 and will be attended by several heads of state, including Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
The SCO is Eurasia’s main political, economic, and security alliance founded in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Since then, India, Pakistan, and Iran have expanded to become full members, while Afghanistan, Belarus, and Mongolia retain observer status.
Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar is scheduled to visit Pakistan on October 15 for a summit meeting, which will be his first visit to the country. This is the first visit by an Indian foreign minister since Sushma Swaraj’s visit in December 2015.
Pakistan: Islamabad, Rawalpindi to suspend operations for 5 days ahead of SCO summit
