ISLAMABAD: Islamabad police have deployed more than 1,500 officers and personnel to secure cattle markets ahead of Eid Al-Adha, officials said on Friday, as authorities prepare for large crowds and increased commercial activity linked to the Islamic festival.
Eid Al-Adha, one of the two major Islamic festivals, traditionally draws thousands of buyers to cattle markets across Pakistan, where families purchase goats, cows and bulls for ritual sacrifice. The temporary markets often generate heavy traffic and large cash transactions, prompting heightened security and policing measures in major cities.
The security arrangements also come at a time when Pakistan has witnessed a broader rise in militant violence in recent years, particularly in the country’s northwestern and southwestern regions. While Islamabad has largely remained insulated from large-scale attacks for years, recent security incidents in the capital, including militant attacks targeting a judicial complex and a Shia mosque, have renewed concerns about public safety in crowded urban spaces.
“More than 1,500 police officers and personnel will perform duties,” Islamabad police said in a statement announcing a “comprehensive security plan” for cattle markets in the capital.
The statement said the security plan had been devised to protect traders and buyers and prevent criminal activity at the markets.
Islamabad Deputy Inspector General of Police Muhammad Jawad Tariq directed all patrolling units, including Capital Police patrol teams and local police stations, to ensure “emergency response readiness,” according to the statement.
Police also said traffic officers would be deployed to maintain smooth traffic flow around the markets and urged residents to park vehicles only in designated areas.
Authorities warned that action would be taken against cattle markets set up outside locations approved by the district administration.
“Our foremost duty is to protect the lives and property of Islamabad’s citizens and maintain law and order,” Tariq said.
Pakistan has experienced a resurgence in militant violence since the collapse of a ceasefire between the Pakistani Taliban, or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and the state in late 2022.
Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Afghan Taliban-led administration in Kabul of allowing TTP militants to use Afghan territory to launch attacks inside Pakistan, an allegation Kabul denies. The dispute has strained ties between the two neighbors and fueled tensions along their shared border.
