New Delhi: Pakistan has deployed three companies of the Pakistan Army — more than 400 personnel — in Rawalpindi for six months, citing “sensitive security duties” and the need to respond to any “undesirable situation” or unforeseen security challenge. The move comes as political tensions remain elevated ahead of Imran Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), planned September 27 protest demanding the release of the jailed former prime minister.
Pakistan’s interior ministry order, dated August 21, said the deployment was approved under Article 245 of Pakistan’s Constitution following a request from the Punjab home department. The troops will support the Rawalpindi district administration with immediate effect, with the approval valid for six months.
The notification itself does not cite a specific threat or incident, framing the move only as a precaution against “any kind of unforeseen circumstances.” However, it follows an August 11 shooting on Rawalpindi’s Mall Road, in which a man described by security sources as a PTI worker allegedly opened fire on a security patrol, injuring an officer, before being killed in retaliatory fire — an incident PTI has said it does not condone and has demanded a judicial inquiry into. The deployment gives authorities additional military support in a city that is home to the Pakistan Army’s general headquarters and to Imran Khan’s Adiala Jail.
The development was also flagged by Shahzad Akbar, a former adviser to Imran Khan, who reportedly said on X that the Rawalpindi district had been “handed over to the Army for six months,” while questioning the reasoning behind the move.
The deployment comes days after Pakistan’s parliament approved the Defence Forces Act, 2026, following the 27th Constitutional Amendment, which introduced a new military command structure. Under the revised framework, Field Marshal Asim Munir holds the positions of army chief and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), with the CDF vested with operational command and control of the armed forces.
The move also comes amid renewed political mobilisation by PTI, which has announced a nationwide protest and march on September 27, seeking Khan’s release and access to his family, doctors and lawyers. PTI spokesperson Zulfikar Bukhari has said the former prime minister would not confront Field Marshal Asim Munir if released and would not take any step that could harm Pakistan, while reiterating the party’s plan for the September 27 protest.