Security alert: Police finalise security plan for Christmas

Police to provide protection to 481 churches in the city.

LAHORE: Police finalised the security plan for Christmas in Lahore in a meeting held at the Operations DIG office on Monday.

DIG Dr Haider Ashraf told The Express Tribune that police had divided churches and other places where Christmas services were going to be held in three categories.

“In the A category, there are 69 churches; in B category there are 94 churches and in the C category there are 318 churches,” Dr Haider Ashraf said.

“There are 481 churches in the city and 153 localities where the population is predominantly Christian. Various events to celebrate Christmas will be arranged there,” he said.

“Six SPs, 35 DSPs, 83 inspectors and 5,000 policemen will be deployed to secure the churches and residential localities,” he said.

Ashraf said that Security SP Liaqat Ali Malik and Headquarters SP Umar Saeed would coordinate between the organisers, divisional SPs and the policemen deployed for the security purposes.

He added that CCTV cameras and walkthrough gates would be placed at the church entrances. “Policemen with metal detectors will be deployed and the visitors will be thoroughly checked before they are allowed to enter,” he said. Ashraf said that every church would be provided security based on the level of its sensitivity.

He directed the divisional SPs to start search operations in the vicinity of churches and the localities where they were residing in their respective divisions. The DIG also requested Chief Traffic Officer Tayyab Hafeez Cheema to ensure the smooth flow of traffic on Christmas. “Barriers, barbed wires and sniffer dogs will also be used for the security of the churches,” he said. He appealed to citizens to contact local police before arranging any Christmas-related event.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 23^rd, 2014.