Army called in to maintain law and order in Punjab and KP

The government of Punjab has called the Army to maintain law and order situation in the province following violent protests after the shock arrest of PTI Chairman Imran Khan, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Wednesday.

Punjab Home Department forwarded a request to the federal government seeking deployment of the Army in the province to maintain order which was granted.

The Army has been called in as per Article 245 of the Constitution.

A notification to the effect has been issued by the Home Department which said that 10 companies of the Army will be at Punjab government's disposal and they will initially be deployed in Lahore, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi and Multan.

After Punjab, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has called in the Army to maintain law and order situation in view of the violent protests by PTI workers in several cities across the province, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

According to sources, the Army was being deployed in the province under Article 245 of the Constitution. 

The provincial government has issued a notification in this regard.

It may be mentioned here that after Imran Khan’s arrest on Tuesday, some PTI protesters took out their wrath on the military, torching the residence of the corps commander in Lahore and laying siege to the Army's General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi.

In Peshawar, a mob razed the Chaghi monument -- a mountain-shaped sculpture honouring the location of Pakistan's first nuclear test.

Police fought pitched battles with PTI workers in cities across the country for hours on Tuesday night, made hundreds of arrests and registered cases against them.

Reporters Qaisar Khokhar and Sajid Baloch