Foolproof arrangements: 2,000 cops secure shabeeh-i-taboot procession

12,000 participate in procession marking Hazrat Imam Hassan’s (RA) martyrdom.

LAHORE: Nearly 2,000 policemen secured the main Shabeeh-i-Taboot procession commemorating the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hassan (RA) that was taken out from the Mochi Gate area on Sunday.

Security SP Liaqat Ali Malik told The Express Tribune that nearly 2,000 policemen had been charged with securing the proceedings. He said snipers had been deployed at rooftops along the route’s procession.



Malik said walkthrough gates had been installed at the procession’s entry points and mourners were only allowed to join the proceedings after being frisked by policemen equipped with metal detectors at the points.

He said there was be four-tier security to mitigate the chances of any untoward incident.

The SP said teams of the Mujahid and the Quick Response Forces had been patrolling the area.

He said search lights and CCTV cameras had been installed along the route’s procession.

City SP Sarfraz Khan said a search had been carried out along the route of the procession.

He said The Lower Mall had been picketed and barbed wire had been placed there. Khan said 12,000 mourners had participated in the procession.

Operations DIG Haider Ashraf inspected the arrangements and interacted with the organisers of the procession and policemen deployed there.

He exhorted the mourners to cooperate with police to ensure foolproof security. Traffic SP Rana Shujaat told The Express Tribune that traffic proceeding towards Data Darbar and Karbala Gamay Shah had been diverted to The Mall and Bund Road to prevent any untoward incident.

The procession is expected to reach Karbala Gamay Shah at 11pm after passing through the Fazl-i-Haq Chowk, Chowk Nawab Sahib, the Mubarik Haveli, the Akbari Gate, the Nisar Haveli, Chohatta Mufti Baqar and Purani Kotwali.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 22^nd, 2014.