Senior journalist and analyst Muneeb Farooq has said that the deployment of three companies of the Pakistan Army in Rawalpindi district is a routine administrative measure and that linking it to any political activity or development is completely unjustified.
In a statement on social media platform X, citing reliable sources, Farooq said the deployment was purely related to the movement of VIPs and routine security arrangements in the area. He added that interpreting the administrative measure in a political context or linking it to any political narrative is contrary to the facts.
It is worth mentioning here that the federal government has approved the deployment of Pakistan Army personnel in Rawalpindi under Article 245 of the Constitution to assist the civil administration in maintaining law and order. Under the approved arrangement, three companies of the Pakistan Army will be deployed in the district to support local authorities in carrying out security-related duties.
The deployment comes following a request from the Punjab Home Department in Lahore, which sought military assistance from the federal government for Rawalpindi. According to the notification details, the army personnel will operate in aid of the civil administration, with their primary role being to assist authorities in maintaining peace, public order and security across the district.
Article 245 provides the constitutional framework under which Pakistan’s Armed Forces can, subject to directions from the federal government, act in aid of civil power. The provision has previously been used to facilitate military assistance to civilian authorities during situations involving heightened security concerns and law-and-order challenges.