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

Islamabad [Pakistan], October 11 : 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 owners, who are also being summoned to police stations to fill out surety bonds. Additionally, all cash-and-carry marts across the city will remain closed during this period.
The summit's security measures extend beyond businesses. Suspects at Adiala Jail will not be presented in court for five days, and courts have started rescheduling important cases for hearings after October 16, as reported by The Express Tribune.
For added security, commandos and sniper shooters will be deployed on the rooftops of multi-story buildings throughout the city.
According to The Express Tribune, a complete ban on pigeon flying and kite flying has been imposed within a 3-kilometer radius around Noor Khan Chaklala Airbase, and operations to demolish pigeon nets on the rooftops of houses and plazas have begun.
With the help of female police officers, the authorities have removed pigeon nets from 38 rooftops. The District Officer for Civil Defence stated that all areas will be completely cleared of pigeon nets by Friday, October 11.
During the SCO summit, a decision has been made to tighten security in the twin cities. Following this, the government has announced a three-day public holiday in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, from October 14 to 16, to ensure the smooth organization of the upcoming SCO summit.
This decision, ratified by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, aims to facilitate the summit's preparations and execution. As a result, all educational institutions and government offices in the twin cities will remain closed during this period.
Notably, the SCO summit, chaired by Pakistan, will be held in Islamabad on October 16 and 17, with various heads of state, including Chinese Premier Li Qiang, in attendance.
The SCO summit is a significant Eurasian political, economic, and security alliance established in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Since then, the organization has expanded to include India, Pakistan, and Iran as full members, while Afghanistan, Belarus, and Mongolia hold observer status.
Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar is expected to visit Pakistan for the SCO summit, marking his inaugural trip to the country on October 15. This will be the first visit by an Indian foreign minister to Pakistan in nearly nine years, with Sushma Swaraj being the last to make the trip in December 2015.