Pakistan: Islamabad, Rawalpindi implement five-day closure of businesses ahead of SCO summit

Ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, Islamabad and Rawalpindi will see the temporary closure of restaurants, wedding halls, cafes, and snooker clubs for five days, from October 12 to 16, as part of heightened security measures, The Express Tribune reported.

To ensure compliance, Station House Officers are collecting guarantee bonds from business owners, who are being summoned to police stations to fill out surety bonds. Cash-and-carry marts across the city will also remain closed during this period.

Security measures extend beyond businesses. Suspects at Adiala Jail will not be presented in court, and important court cases have been rescheduled for hearings after October 16. Commandos and snipers will be deployed on rooftops of multi-story buildings for added security.

A ban on pigeon flying and kite flying has been enforced within a 3-kilometer radius around Noor Khan Chaklala Airbase. Authorities have begun removing pigeon nets from rooftops, with 38 already cleared, according to the District Officer for Civil Defence.

The government has declared a three-day public holiday from October 14 to 16, closing educational institutions and government offices to facilitate the summit’s preparations. Various heads of state, including Chinese Premier Li Qiang, are expected to attend the event.

Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar is also set to visit Pakistan for the summit, marking his first trip to the country on October 15, the first such visit by an Indian minister since 2015.

The SCO summit, chaired by Pakistan, will take place on October 16 and 17, bringing together heads of state from member countries including India, China, Russia, and Iran.

(ANI)