Lahore, September 23, 2026: The Punjab government has requested the federal government to deploy Pakistan Rangers in Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum and Mianwali from September 22 to October 5 to assist police in maintaining law and order amid planned protests and a PTI long march towards Islamabad.
The request comes as the Kissan Ittehad and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have announced protests and sit-ins in Islamabad in the coming week. PTI has announced a long march on September 27 to demand the release of party founder Imran Khan.
According to a letter sent by the Punjab Home Department to the Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control, three companies of Pakistan Rangers have been sought for Rawalpindi, including one for Rawalpindi city and two for Taxila.
Five Rangers wings have been requested for Attock, while one company each has been sought for Jhelum and Mianwali.
The proposed deployment would be made under Article 245 of the Constitution, Sections 4 and 5 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, and Sections 7(b) and 10 of the Pakistan Rangers Ordinance, 1959.
The Punjab Home Department said the matter was discussed at the 59th meeting of the Standing Committee of the Cabinet on Law & Order (SCCLO) on September 20.
The meeting reviewed the situation presented by police authorities, orders of the Islamabad High Court in Writ Petition No. 4421/2026 and instructions issued by the Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD) of Punjab.
Following the review, the committee authorised the requisition of troops to assist in maintaining law and order in the four districts.
The Punjab government has also imposed Section 144 across the province from September 23 to October 5, banning assemblies, processions and gatherings of five or more people in public places, highways and open spaces.
The restrictions also prohibit inciting people to participate in unlawful assemblies.
However, the order exempts wedding ceremonies, funeral prayers, burials and gatherings at mosques and other places of worship. Official duties of courts and government and semi-government organisations, as well as events authorised by the relevant deputy commissioner, are also exempt.
The Home Department has separately prohibited the carrying or display of weapons in public places, with exemptions for law-enforcement, intelligence and security personnel performing official duties.
The department said the restrictions were imposed in view of threats to public peace, tranquillity and the lives and property of citizens.
The Punjab Home Department has also requested the Interior Ministry to suspend or downgrade mobile and internet services at specified locations in Rawalpindi and Attock on September 27.
According to the request, 2G, 3G and 4G services have been sought to be blocked at specified locations in Rawalpindi, including areas from Barahma Bahtar to M-1, Gango, Ahata, Taxila City, Wah Saddar, Thalian and Chakri.
The department has also requested the downgrading of mobile and internet services across Attock district.
The Home Department said the request was made on the recommendation of police authorities as part of measures to maintain law and order.
“The protection of the lives and property of the public is the top priority of the Government of Punjab,” a department spokesperson said.
Security preparations in Rawalpindi Division and the federal capital are also under way ahead of the planned PTI march and other protests.
More than 22,000 security personnel, led by eight deputy inspectors general, are expected to be deployed in Islamabad, while more than 30,000 personnel are planned for Attock district, which links Punjab with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
In August, the federal government had authorised the deployment of three companies of the Pakistan Army in Rawalpindi for six months to perform sensitive security duties and respond to unforeseen situations.
The army deployment was approved more than a month before the planned PTI march. PTI has claimed that its September 27 march could attract around two million participants.
District administrations in Punjab have previously sought military assistance under Article 245 during Muharram, elections and periods of heightened security alerts.
