FAISALABAD, Nov 7: Plain-clothes policemen manned roads on Wednesday at the arrival of the US consulate and the governor in the city to give an impression to the US diplomat that all was well.

Principal Officer of US Consulate Bryan D Hunt and Governor Khalid Maqbool were to attend a seminar at the Agriculture University in Faisalabad.

Police sources said all town police officers, supervisory officers and station house officers of police stations were directed to deploy plain-clothes officials along roads. They were warned that “negligent” would face the music.

A police officer visited several spots and found few of baton-wielding policemen standing in uniform. The officer immediately removed them from the road.

A police officer requesting anonymity said that it was the desire of the governor to show the US diplomat that all was well in the city after the imposition of emergency rule in the country. He said the governor had instructed police officials to deploy plain-clothes officials along roads and officials were bound to follow his “advice”.

He said uniformed policemen escorted the US consulate official and the governor while officials in civvies were deployed to handle the protesters.

SP (headquarters) Saeed Gondal was not available for comment. Police also continued besieging the District Court and press club. Journalists continued their two-hour pen-down strike against blockade of the press club and boycotted the function attended by the governor.