Pak army says no fresh deployment of troops in Islamabad

The Pakistan army said it is not making any fresh deployment of troops in Islamabad for the federal capital's security.

Pakistan military spokesman Maj Gen Asim Bajwa said that no additional troops are being deployed in Islamabad other than the forces placed in the capital on June 15 for security duties at the time of the launch of the Zarb-i-Azb operation in North Waziristan.

The statement comes following news that the federal government's decision to deploy the army in Islamabad under Article 245 of the Constitution went into effect on Friday.

Earlier, reports said that Pakistan was deploying at least five companies of the army in various parts of Islamabad to aid civilian law-enforcement agencies in securing the capital for the next three months.

However, opposing the move, the Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP) has decided to take up the matter in the National Assembly session, which will commence from August 4.

Reports suggest that Pakistan government sought military assistance, as it felt threatened by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf's (PTI) upcoming long march on Independence Day.

An interior ministry spokesperson said that the capital was not being 'handed over' to the army and in fact a contingent from the military would assist the police and civil administration at sensitive installations and serve as a rapid response force, the report added.