Islamabad and Rawalpindi will implement a five-day closure of businesses from October 12 to 16 as part of security measures ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, The Express Tribune reported. The temporary shutdown will affect restaurants, wedding halls, cafes, and snooker clubs.
To enforce these measures, Station House Officers are collecting guarantee bonds from business owners, who are also being called to police stations to fill out surety bonds.Additionally, all cash-and-carry marts in the cities will remain shut during this period.
Security measures extend beyond commercial establishments. Authorities have decided that suspects at Adiala Jail will not be presented in court for the duration, with important cases being rescheduled for hearings after October 16, according to The Express Tribune.
For additional safety, commandos and sniper shooters will be stationed on rooftops of multi-story buildings throughout the city. A complete ban on pigeon flying and kite flying has been imposed within a 3-kilometer radius of Noor Khan Chaklala Airbase, and operations have begun to dismantle pigeon nets on rooftops. Authorities, assisted by female police officers, have already removed nets from 38 rooftops. The District Officer for Civil Defence confirmed that all areas would be cleared of pigeon nets by Friday, October 11.
To ensure the summit proceeds smoothly, the government has also announced a three-day public holiday in the twin cities from October 14 to 16. This move, approved by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, aims to facilitate preparations. Consequently, all educational institutions and government offices in Islamabad and Rawalpindi will be closed during this period.
The SCO summit, chaired by Pakistan, will take place in Islamabad on October 16 and 17, with several heads of state, including Chinese Premier Li Qiang, expected to attend.
The SCO is a major Eurasian political, economic, and security alliance established in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. It has since expanded to include India, Pakistan, and Iran as full members, with Afghanistan, Belarus, and Mongolia holding observer status.
Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar is scheduled to visit Pakistan on October 15 for the summit, marking his first trip to the country. This will be the first visit by an Indian foreign minister since Sushma Swaraj’s visit in December 2015.