Security plan for Data Ganj Bakhsh urs ready

Three SPs and 10 DSPs will oversee security arrangements

LAHORE: As many as 1,500 policemen will perform security duties for the three-day urs of Data Ganj Bakhsh (RA) and the chehlum of Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS).

This was decided at a meeting of senior police officials and representatives of the district administration.



Participants of the meeting decided that police would start rehearsing of the plan from Monday (today) at 11am.  Security SP Captain (R) Liaqat Malik said that three SPs and 10 DSPs would oversee implementation of the security plan.

Eight teams of Elite Force will patrol the city. Five police-vans with high-resolution cameras will be used. As many as 70 pickets will be set up for spot sweeps.

Police have installed 239 CCTV cameras at various points of the city. These are connected to a control system set up at the offices of SP City, the Operations DIG, the CCPO and the DCO. Drones will be deployed for aerial surveillance.

The Data Darbar shrine and Karbala Gamay Shah will be cordoned off using barbed wires and barricades and devotees will be allowed in after checking at four points.

Rescue 1122 has been put on high alert. Rescue 1122 spokesman Jam Sajjad Hussain said 250 rescue officials will be on duty.



He said 33 ambulances and 17 fire vehicles had been deployed to respond to emergencies. He said a reserve team would be on standby at their designated points at Yadgar and Bhatti Gate.

Edhi spokesman Yunis Bhatti said that 50 volunteers will perform duty in two shifts and 20 Edhi ambulances would be deployed.

Security in the city is already on high-alert in the wake of threats against important installations, personalities and media houses by militants linked with the ISIS.

On November 28, CIA police had killed four members of Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, including last founding member, in an encounter.

Police officers had said that the slain militants were planning to attack Urs of Data Saab and Chehlum of Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS).

Published in The Express Tribune, November 30^th,  2015.