ISLAMABAD: The federal government has approved the deployment of Rangers in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) and several districts of Punjab ahead of the PTI’s planned march on the federal capital on Sept 27.

According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control, the deployment has been authorised from Sept 20 to Oct 5.

“Pursuant to the request made by the chief commissioner, Islamabad Capital Territory … and Home Department, government of Punjab …, the federal government is pleased to authorise deployment of sufficient strength of troops of Pakistan Rangers (Punjab) in ICT and different districts of Punjab province,” the notification reads.

The deployment has been authorised under Sections 7(b) and 10 of the Pakistan Rangers Ordinance, 1959, and Sections 4 and 5 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, to perform functions specified under the laws, as authorised by the Islamabad chief commissioner or the provincial government.

“The deployed troops may respond appropriately in self-defence to any threats or violent activities encountered in the course of their duties as per rules/regulations in vogue,” the notification states.

The interior ministry separately directed that in case of attacks by disruptive and armed groups, Rangers and police would take all appropriate and necessary counter-action in self-defence and take measures to deal with any violent activity.

The deployment comes as the administration steps up security measures in the capital and Punjab to maintain law and order ahead of the opposition’s planned march.

The Punjab government on Wednesday requested the federal government to deploy Rangers in Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum and Mianwali districts from Sept 22 to Oct 5 to assist the provincial police in maintaining law and order. Meanwhile, Section 144 has also been imposed in Islamabad and Punjab.

Dawn has learnt that the PTI has been told that the federal government will not allow it to go through with the planned march on Islamabad. Discussions with leaders privy to developments suggest that the party has been offered certain confidence-building measures (CBMs) in backchannel contacts with the powers that be.

The party has also been conveyed “in clear terms” that it would not be allowed to march on the capital, and that preparations are in place to ‘fix them for good’ in case they do go ahead with the protest.

However, when contacted, Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry refuted the PTI claim that they had been offered any CBMs.

“Had the government offered any confidence-building measures, there would have been no long march,” Chaudhry told Dawn, adding that the party had made such “one-sided claims” in the past too, but they were not true.