Updates Clarification of Ministry of Interior released Friday evening at the end of this story
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Army takes over security of Islamabad for 3 months under article 245 of the Constitution of Pakistan. The federal interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan announced on Friday that article 245 of the constitution has been enforced in Islamabad under which Pakistan army will take control of the federal capital’s security from August 1 for three months.
Talking to media representatives in Islamabad, the interior minister said that no application has yet been received by the Deputy Commissioner Islamabad from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) regarding its long march.
Nisar said that once the application is submitted then the decision will be taken to allow the PTI to hold a protest rally in Islamabad or not.
What is Article 245 of Constitution of Pakistan?
245 Functions of Armed Forces.
The Armed Forces shall, under the directions of the Federal Government, defend Pakistan against external aggression or threat of war, and, subject to law, act in aid of civil power when called upon to do so.
(2) The validity of any direction issued by the Federal Government under clause (1) shall not be called in question in any court.
(3) A High Court shall not exercise any jurisdiction under Article 199 in relation to any area in which the Armed Forces of Pakistan are, for the time being, acting in aid of civil power in pursuance of Article 245:
Provided that this clause shall not be deemed to affect the jurisdiction of the High Court in respect of any proceeding pending immediately before the day on which the Armed Forces start acting in aid of civil power.
(4) Any proceeding in relation to an area referred to in clause (3) instituted on or after the day the Armed Forces start acting in aid of civil power and pending in any High Court shall remain suspended for the period during which the Armed Forces are so acting.
Update
Clarification Version of Ministry of Interior released Friday evening:
ISLAMABAD: Interior Ministry Friday clarified that neither Islamabad was being handed over to army nor ‘August 1’ had any connection with this issue.
“The fact is that army is being called for a limited period to help security agencies avoid possible acts of terrorism and maintain law & order in the federal capital”, a spokesman for the ministry said here on Friday.
He said that the legal, constitutional, and administrative aspects of this deployment had been thoroughly looked into before a formal notification was issued on Thursday, July, 24.
According to the notification, special contingents of armed forces will assist police and civil administration at some sensitive locations including airport.
In addition to that, contingents of armed forces will also act as Rapid Response Force under Article 245 of the constitution of Pakistan.
The government spokesman further clarified that wherever required, a similar model and procedure of military deployment would be adopted there.
Ends
Dispatch News Desk stands by its story as:
Interestingly, Ministry of Interior in its clarification again accepted that Army has been called under article 245 of Constitution of Pakistan as “Rapid Response Force”.
