 "How SCO Summit, Chinese PM visit has locked down Islamabad for 3 days")
Islamabad is on lockdown amid Pakistan holding the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
The development comes as Pakistan is holding the SCO meet today and tomorrow in its capital with a slew of high-profile leaders including India’s S Jaishankar, Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin attending.
Li’s visit is the first by a Chinese premier to Pakistan in 11 years, Pakistan’s Prime Minister’s Office said.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif received Li, who will also undertake a four-day bilateral visit, at the airport.
The government has announced a three-day public holiday in Islamabad, with schools and businesses shut and large contingents of police and paramilitary forces deployed.
The SCO, established in 2001, aims to promote political, economic, and security cooperation in the region.
It comprises Pakistan, China, India, Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus, with 16 more countries affiliated as observers or “dialogue partners”.
Let’s take a closer look at how the SCO summit and the Chinese Premier’s visit has locked Islamabad down.
Let’s take a closer look:
Thousands to protect delegates
As per India Today, key routes and businesses in Islamabad have been shuttered.
As per Dawn, Pakistan has deployed over 10,000 police and paramilitary personnel to protect the 900 delegates in Islamabad.
Sources said 6,643 police officials, 1,000 Frontier Constabulary (FC) troops, 2,000 Punjab Constabulary officers, and 888 Rangers will look after security – with help from the military.
Another 661 officials will be on motorcade duty, 2,358 on routes, 2,358 to guard accommodations, 459 to protect the venue, 122 to look after inner and intermediate cordons, 222 more officials at several points in the high-security zone, and 37 officials in the parking area, and 72 people more in the control room, as per Dawn.
This has been done to prevent any ‘untoward incidents’ occurring during the summit.
As Li landed, Islamist militants attacked a police headquarters in a northwestern Pakistani district, killing three police officers, officials said.
The Islamists, from an umbrella group of several militant groups called Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility for the attack. They have always disassociated themselves from any attacks on Chinese nationals, although Pakistani authorities convicted some of its members for a 2021 suicide bombing that killed nine Chinese engineers.
The delegates, meanwhile, have been put up at various locations inside or near Islamabad’s ‘Red Zone.’
Officials said 124 vehicles will be in the motorcades – of which 84 will be for heads of states and 40 for other delegates.
As per WION, access to the Red Zone has been restricted for the general public.
Army deployed
The decision to deploy the army has been taken under Article 245 of the Constitution which empowers the government to call army troops to help the civil administration in maintaining peace, according to a notification issued by the Interior Ministry.
The ministry said that the federal government is “pleased to authorise the deployment of requisite strength of the Pakistan Army in aid of civil powers from October 5 to 17” in the capital.
The notification confirmed that the army will oversee the security of key government buildings and the Red Zone in Islamabad.
While the paramilitary Rangers are already stationed in the capital, the military will take over security duties to further strengthen protection during the summit.
The announcement to deploy the army coincided with India announcing that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will travel to Pakistan to attend the SCO’s Council of Heads of Government (SCO-CHG) meeting.
“The external affairs minister will lead our delegation to Pakistan to participate in the SCO summit which will be held in Islamabad on 15 and 16 October,” said Randhir Jaiswal, a Foreign Ministry spokesman, but did not say if Jaishankar would meet any Pakistani leaders on the sidelines.
This will be the first visit by an Indian foreign minister to Pakistan in nearly a decade.
In the weeks leading up to the summit, Pakistan’s authorities have cracked down hard on dissent, banning an ethnic nationalist movement and introducing new laws that restrict protests in the capital.
They have also arrested hundreds of supporters of jailed opposition leader Imran Khan who attempted to march in Islamabad earlier this month.
A deadly attack on a convoy of Chinese engineers in the major port city of Karachi also deepened security fears in a country where separatist groups routinely target Chinese nationals.
Most attacks on Chinese nationals have been carried out by separatist ethnic Baloch militants based in the southwestern province of Balochistan bordering Afghanistan and Iran.
Islamabad has authorised the deployment of troops on the streets for the duration of the summit.
Imtiaz Gul, a security analyst and executive director of the Centre for Research and Security Studies, said the meeting holds great significance for a country that is “not seen as safe”.
“The government claims to have made elaborate security arrangements and understandably so because it has to make sure that the event passes off peacefully without any untoward incident,” he told reporters.
Security for Chinese nationals has been enhanced, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Monday, adding that Sharif took a “deep, keen, personal focus” on their security.
“I believe that (the) Chinese premier’s visit will be a landmark visit,” he said, terming it a “turning point in our relationship.”
He said a high-level investigation is taking place into the recent attacks on Chinese nationals and added that, “I think our Chinese friends are also somewhat satisfied on the keen interest we are taking and the special focus we have placed on security.”
Sharif’s office said that he and Li discussed economic and trade ties and cooperation under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a $65 billion investment in the South Asian country under Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative.
They both also inaugurated virtually the CPEC-funded Gwadar International Airport in restive southwestern Balochistan province in a ceremony telecast live by Pakistan’s state run TV.
Sharif described it a gift from Beijing and the people of China under the CPEC.
SCO participants will be represented by the prime ministers of China, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as well as the first vice president of Iran and external affairs minister of India, the foreign office said.
Section 144 imposed in Karachi
The Karachi administration has enforced Section 144 across the city for four days, starting from October 13, to ensure public safety and maintain law and order, ARY News reported.
This decision comes after a recommendation from Sindh’s Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ghulam Nabi Memon, who cited potential threats to peace as the primary reason for the restriction.
The notification prohibits gatherings of five or more people, processions, and public meetings during this period.
The restrictions will be in place till October 17.
The IGP’s letter to the Karachi administration noted the possible disruption to peace that protests and rallies could cause. He highlighted that such gatherings could lead to inconvenience for citizens, posing significant security risks. The ban on public gatherings is meant to protect the general public and maintain peace in the city during this period, as reported by ARY News.
Meanwhile, the Punjab Home Ministry has also imposed Section 144 in five districts of Punjab for three days. These districts–Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, Muzzafargarh, Rajanpur, and Kot Addu–will see a ban on all political gatherings, sit-ins, and rallies until October 15.
The provincial government, citing security concerns, issued the restriction to prevent large gatherings from becoming potential targets for miscreants. The government’s focus is on ensuring public safety during the period when the risk of unrest is heightened.
This series of restrictions coincides with an announcement by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, which has scheduled a protest at Islamabad’s D-Chowk on October 15. The timing of this demonstration is significant, as it will coincide with the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, ARY News reported.
The presence of international leaders at the summit has raised concerns about security, with authorities seeking to minimise the risk of disruption caused by large-scale protests during the high-profile event.
The SCO is sometimes touted as an alternative to the Western-dominated Nato military alliance.
As China’s claim over Taiwan and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have seen them clash with the US and Europe, analysts said the SCO is one forum where they are trying to garner regional influence.
While the SCO has a mandate to discuss security, the Islamabad summit is due to focus on trade, humanitarian and cultural issues.
‘PTI doesn’t want to show positive side of Pakistan’
Pakistan’s domestic concerns are likely to dominate the sidelines of the summit, however.
Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has threatened to stage protests, a week after scattered demonstrations by supporters saw the capital locked down for three days with mobile phone signal cut and exit and entry points blocked.
“The PTI doesn’t want to showcase the positive side of Pakistan to the world,” accused Ahsan Iqbal Chaudhary, minister for planning, during a press conference Saturday.
“Instead, they aim to present a picture of the country filled with tear gas and unrest.”
Authorities have declared a three-day public holiday for Islamabad and the neighbouring city of Rawalpindi starting on Monday, along with road closures to reduce movement around the area.
The “red zone” government quarter hosting the summit meanwhile has been spruced up with manicured gardens ringed by razor wire.
Cash-strapped Pakistan is particularly at pains to protect citizens from China because it is a major investor, sending funds and staff for million-dollar infrastructure projects.
Pakistan is grappling with a broad uptick in militancy coinciding with the Taliban’s 2021 return to power in neighbouring Afghanistan, where Islamabad claims attackers are now taking shelter.
Authorities are also seeking to curb movements of Chinese citizens.
This comes after a security risk from militant groups targeting them, according to three security officials and an internal security note.
The decision has come after the killing of two Chinese engineers in a bombing near Pakistan’s Karachi international airport claimed by separatist militant group Baloch Liberation Army (BLA).
“Orders have been received from concerned authority that Chinese move of all types including intra-city/ inter-city/ airport etc to be ceased from 14 to 17 Oct 24 in connection with SCO summit and various delegations visit,” the alert, shared with several Pakistani security agencies said.
Three top security officials who received the alert said it had also been conveyed to Chinese authorities.
“All concerned to make sure that Chinese are conveyed it in advance so that important moves are adjusted before that. No violations will be accepted during this period,” the alert said.
The Chinese embassy in Islamabad and Pakistan’s interior ministry did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.
The bombing was the latest in a string of attacks against Chinese nationals in Pakistan over the last four years, including a March suicide bombing that killed five Chinese engineers working on a hydropower project.
Beijing called on Islamabad to implement more stringent security measures.
BLA, the biggest of several ethnic insurgent groups that has fought the federal government for decades, targets Chinese interests - including the strategic port of Gwadar on the Arabian Sea - as it accuses Beijing of helping Islamabad exploit local resources. It has previously killed Chinese citizens and attacked China’s consulate in Karachi.
The port development is part of Beijing’s $65 billion investment in road, rail and infrastructure building under President Xi’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
The security officials said senior staff responsible for Chinese security in Karachi had been removed from service following the latest attack, which took place in a highly secure area.
Pakistan’s interior ministry is primarily responsible for the security of Chinese nationals and their interests.
“Let’s wait two, three days, things will be clear,” Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi told a press conference in Islamabad when asked about the security lapse.
Foreign delegations arrive
Foreign delegations started arriving in Pakistan Sunday for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, amid heightened security and the deployment of the army in the national capital to maintain law and order during the event.
A 76-member Russian delegation and seven representatives of the SCO reached Pakistan.
Separately, a four-member official delegation of India also arrived in Pakistan, Geo News reported quoting airport sources.
In a statement, Islamabad Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Nasir Ali Rizvi said that a “comprehensive” security plan had been chalked out ahead of the all-important summit in the federal capital.
“Security personnel will be deployed at funnel areas, hotels and places where foreign delegations are staying,” he said, adding that they ensured the security of foreign leaders, delegations and guests.
Furthermore, Rizvi said search and information-based operations were underway, with personnel of the Pakistan Army, intelligence agencies, Frontier Corps (FC) and Rangers performing their duties.
The police chief pointed out that more than 9,000 personnel of the police force have been deployed for security. “An integrated traffic plan has also been issued for the convenience of citizens.”
With inputs from agencies
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