ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad administration on Saturday requested an extension of the deployment of Pakistan Rangers personnel in the federal capital from Oct 5 to Oct 15.

The request came amid the PTI’s planned long march to the capital from Oct 4. Since the call was made, the administration has the been gearing up to stop the protestors from entering Islamabad, with hundreds of containers being placed. Additional personnel have also been deployed from Sindh and Punjab police.

The letter, available with Dawn, from the office of the chief commissioner requested that the “provision of 3,000 personnel of Pakistan Rangers with command structure to Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Police may be extended from Oct 5 to 15, 2026”.

An earlier notification issued by the interior ministry stated that the deployment had been authorised from Sept 20 to Oct 5.

According to the previous notification, the deployment had 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 earlier notification stated.

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.

Meanwhile, gatherings in the federal capital are also banned under the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act 2024, which had been rushed through the National Assembly amidst the opposition’s outcry.

The federal government has warned against marching towards the federal capital or blocking roads in the city, with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi cautioning PTI “not to enter a dead-end street” and hinting at a “permanent solution” to such protests.