‘Security plans require support of ulema’

Sanaullah says foolproof plan should be evolved to monitor security arrangements during processions, public gatherings

DERA GHAZI KHAN/ BAHAWALPUR/ FAISALABAD:

Former minister for law Rana Sanaullah on Saturday said security in Bahalwapur should be beefed up to maintain law and order during Muharram.

He was addressing a meeting of the Cabinet Review Committee for Peace at Bahawalpur Circuit House.

He said Bahawalpur was a peaceful city and scholars of various sects respected each other. He said these scholars should play a greater role to promote sectarian harmony.

Divisional Peace Committee members Maulana Masood Qasmi, Maulana Riaz Ahmad Awaisi, Khawaja Mureed Hussain and Maulana Abdul Hameed Sadiqui were present at the meeting.



They assured the former law minister of their commitment to maintaining communal peace. Sanaullah said a foolproof plan should be evolved to monitor security arrangements during processions and public gatherings.

He said a load shedding and a cleanliness plan along procession routes should also be formed. He said feedback and suggestions should be obtained from citizens to improve the arrangements.

Commissioner Captain (r) Javed Akbar and Regional Police Officer Roy Tahir Mehmood also addressed the meeting.

‘Maintaining religious harmony a task for religious scholars’ Faisalabad Commissioner Captain (r) Nasim Nawaz on Saturday urged the ulema to play a greater role in promoting religious harmony and unity during Muharram.

He was addressing the participants of a peace committee meeting. RPO Ehsan Tufail, Faisalabad Distric Coordination Officer (DCO) Noorul Amin Mengal, City Police Officer (CPO) Suhail Tajik and Chiniot DCO Irshad Ahmad were also present at the meeting.

The commissioner lauded the work of religious scholars in maintaining peace and urged upon them to forge unity among their ranks. “Sectarian unity is the need of the hour,” he said.

He said security arrangements for Muharram were underway.

The commissioner said administrations of all four districts had been directed to maintain cleanliness along procession routs. He said roads and streetlights would also be repaired.

He urged DCOs to maintain communication with members of peace committees.

RPO Ehsan Tufail appreciated the cooperation of clerics and said that they had been playing an invaluable role in maintaining religious harmony.

He said security arrangements by the police could only be successful with the cooperation of clerics and the civil society. The participants of the meeting pointed said wall-chalking, display of objectionable banners and illegal use of loudspeakers should be banned.

Cabinet committee visits Dera Ghazi Khan

The government will take all steps to ensure peace during Muharram, Home Minister Shuja Khanzada said on Thursday.

Khanzada, who is the head of Cabinet Committee on Muharram, said this during a visit to Dera Ghazi Khan to review security.

Other members of the committee - Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Sardar Sher Ali Gorchani, Food Minister Bilal Yasin, Rana Sanaullah, Home Secretary Azim Sultan and IG Mushtaq Ahmad Sukhera – also accompanied Khanzada.

Later, the committee members were briefed at the Circuit House by the district police and administration officials about security steps being taken to ensure peace during Muharram.

The committee members told the officials that the government would not tolerate any negligence in security arrangements for Ashura. They directed the officials to impose a complete ban on the display of weapons during Muharram.

They also directed officials to monitor all the processions and majalis through CCTV cameras.

The committee members said that police should set up pickets at all exit and entry points to the city.

Separately, Dera Ghazi Khan Commissioner Muhammad Saqib Aziz said on Saturday that security forces would provide protection to 1,360 processions and 4,080 majalis during Ashura in the district.

Talking to reporters, Aziz said that 108 of the events had been declared high-risk. “Six companies of the army and the rangers will be deployed in the district during Muharram,” he said.

He said that gag orders had been issued for 75 clerics and 147 clerics had been banned from entering the district.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 19^th, 2014.