Islamabad police have deployed more than 1,500 officers and personnel to secure cattle markets ahead of Eid Al-Adha, officials confirmed on Friday, as authorities brace for large crowds and heightened commercial activity associated with the Islamic festival.
Comprehensive Security Plan
Eid Al-Adha, one of the two major Islamic festivals, traditionally attracts thousands of buyers to cattle markets across Pakistan, where families purchase goats, cows, and bulls for ritual sacrifice. These temporary markets often generate heavy traffic and large cash transactions, necessitating enhanced security and policing measures in major cities. The security arrangements come amid a broader rise in militant violence in Pakistan in recent years, particularly in the northwestern and southwestern regions. While Islamabad has largely remained insulated from large-scale attacks, 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 emphasized that the plan was designed to protect traders and buyers and to prevent criminal activity at the markets.
Emergency Response Readiness
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.
