The interior ministry has called in the army to maintain law and order in the federal capital during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, which will be held on October 15 and 16.

The army personnel would be in “aid of the civil power from October 5 to 17 in the Islamabad Capital Territory,” the order said on Friday.

Pakistan is set to host the SCO Council of Heads of Government this month, under its rotating chairmanship.

“The exact area of deployment along with an additional number of troops, if the requirement arises, will be worked out by the ICT administration in consultation with the stakeholders concerned,” it said.

Earlier in the day, the Indian foreign ministry confirmed that Subrahmanyam Jaishankar will visit Pakistan to participate in the summit later this month.

A detailed security plan for the event was approved during a meeting chaired by Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi on Wednesday.

The interior minister emphasized the importance of hosting the SCO summit and noted that several heads of state would be in attendance, marking a significant honour for the nation.

He said that additional personnel from the Pakistan Army, Rangers, Frontier Corps, and Punjab police would be deployed to ensure comprehensive security for the guests.

The decision comes at a time when PTI supporters marched towards the twin cities for a “peaceful protest”.

There were reports of clashes between the police and PTI activists at some locations.