The federal government has approved the deployment of three companies of Pakistan Army in Rawalpindi for six months. The Ministry of Interior issued a notification in this regard on August 21.
The government has taken this decision under Article 245 of the Constitution. The Punjab Home Department had requested the federation for the deployment of the army.
According to the official decision, the army troops will perform sensitive security responsibilities. They will assist the Rawalpindi district administration in maintaining law and order.
The authorities have stated that the purpose of the military deployment is to prevent any unpleasant situation. The troops will also help the administration in any emergency or unexpected situation.
According to the notification, the deployment will be effective immediately. Its duration has been fixed for six months. However, the final number of military personnel was not mentioned in the official document.
Generally, the number of personnel in a military company may vary according to the nature of the unit. Therefore, it would not be correct to associate three companies with a specific number of personnel.
Rawalpindi is a sensitive city. It houses important government and defense installations. In such an environment, maintaining strong security arrangements is a top priority for the administration.
A security incident also took place in the city in recent days. After this incident, different positions emerged in political and security circles. However, the current official notification did not identify any specific reason for the military deployment.
Article 245 of the Constitution provides a legal basis for the armed forces to play a role in assisting the civil administration. In the current decision too, the role of the army is related to assisting the district administration.
The administration will continue to focus on sensitive places and security matters during the presence of the army. The government may decide to change this arrangement depending on the future situation.
