August 24, 2026
By Hashir Ahsan
ISLAMABAD
According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Interior on August 21, 2026, three companies of the Pakistan Army will be deployed in Rawalpindi at the request of the Punjab government, under Article 245 of the Constitution for ‘sensitive security’ duties. However the move has received pushback from several quarters.
Senator Farhatullah Babar expressed his reservations over the decision, demanding a debate on the issue in Parliament.
What is a Company?
Generally, a company in the Pakistan Army consists of approximately 100 to 150 personnel. However, the exact strength may vary depending on the nature of the company (infantry, support, or other units). Three companies generally mean around 300 to 450 personnel, but an exact figure cannot be stated without the official notification specifying precise numbers.
According to the notification, the deployment of the army will come into effect immediately for a duration of six months. The army will be deployed as required by the district administration to effectively handle any emergency or unforeseen situation. According to the Ministry of Interior, the decision to deploy the army in Rawalpindi was made on the request of the Home Department of Punjab, which had requested the deployment on July 22, 2026.
According to the notification, the army will assist the district administration in maintaining law and order and responding to any untoward or unexpected situation.
Senator Farhatullah Babar’s Statement
Speaking to Voicepk regarding the army deployment, Senator Farhatullah Babar said, “The decision to deploy troops in Rawalpindi for six months under Article 245 of the Constitution has been taken abruptly, and without due deliberations and no thought has been given to its grave implications. The parliament has also failed to take notice.”
Farhan Babar said that troops called out in aid of civil power under Article 245 will mean that their actions will lie beyond the scrutiny of High Courts.
Article 245 (3) states as under:
A High Court shall not exercise any jurisdiction under Article 199 in relation to any area in which the Armed Forces of Pakistan are, for the time being, acting in aid of civil power in pursuance of Article 245
“Even without invoking 245 our law enforcement agencies have often been accused of acting beyond the ambit of the constitution and law. Inviting them under this Article will give legal cover to what they do during the period they act in aid of civil administration.”
He emphasised that Article 245 (1) allows the federal government to call armed forces in aid of civil power in case of threat of war and external aggression.
“Does the federal government apprehend any external threat?” he questioned. “If so, it should have discussed the matter in the joint sitting of the Parliament to arrive at an informed and thought out decision. This has not been done, nor has it been clarified whether there is indeed a threat of external aggression.”
Babar said that decision would have ominous consequences and that the federal government will regret it. So will the chief minister of Punjab, on whose recommendations the decision is said to have been taken.
“It is hard to avoid the suspicion that the motivation for this far reaching decision is the planned protest demonstration of a major opposition political party to protest the treatment meted out to its incarcerated leader in violation of the Court orders,” he said. “The protest demonstrations by the party is a political issue as is the response of the government to deal with it. Inviting troops means giving them an invitation to a political controversy. The consequences of such a move in the past are too well known to bear repetition. I remember when it was suggested by some quarters to call troops in aid of civil power under 245. Benazir Bhutto strongly rejected it. She knew well what it meant,” he recalled.
“Article 237 of the Constitution allows the government to make laws to indemnify acts in connection with restoration of order in any part of the country,” he added. “If the intention was to maintain law and order, the parliament could have debated it and made some provision under this Article. But it was not done, the parliament is also powerless in making laws and playing a role.
It is a sad day. All that I can say is ‘weep Pakistan, weep.”
Riasat Ali Azad’s Statement
Former President of the Islamabad High Court Bar Association, Riasat Ali Azad, told Voicepk that army deployment did not have any negative impact on the general public, but actions taken by the army receive legal protection under Article 199. However, when the army is deployed, it works alongside the police to maintain law and order and operates under the relevant Deputy Commissioner.
Azad added that the federal government possessed the authority to deploy the army, and conditions regarding this are specified in the Constitution; however, in the case of Rawalpindi’s deployment, the specific reasons behind calling the army have not been clearly stated.
Colonel (R) Inam-ur-Rahim’s statement
Speaking to Voicepk on the matter, Colonel (R) Inam-ur-Rahim said that according to the notification issued, the army is being deployed to secure sensitive locations.
“The military’s role will remain limited strictly to securing the sensitive installations designated by the government, and no fundamental rights of the general public will be affected,” he said. “Inam-ur-Rahim further stated that if any special responsibilities are assigned to the army, a separate notification will be officially issued for that purpose.
Historical precedents
In the past, the army has also been deployed in Rawalpindi during various law and order, security, and emergency situations.
May 9, 2023: Following the arrest of Imran Khan, violent protests and riots broke out across the country, particularly in Rawalpindi (around GHQ and sensitive installations), leading the Federal Ministry of Interior to call in the army under Article 245 to control the situation.
10th of Muharram (November 2013): After sectarian riots, arson, and tensions near Raja Bazaar in Rawalpindi, a curfew was imposed in the city, and the military was summoned under Article 245 to bring the situation under control.
Additionally, partial or complete security coverage by military troops under Article 245 has been deployed in Rawalpindi on various occasions to assist the district administration (such as during the 2018 and 2024 general elections and sensitive days during Muharram).