Religious festivity: Eid celebrated with fervour

Tight security arrangements were made for mosques and imambargahs

LAHORE: Eidul Fitr was celebrated in the City with traditional fervour and festivity.

Tight security arrangements were put in place to avoid any untoward incident. As many as 10,000 policemen performed duties in the city on the Eid day.

Major Eid congregations were held at Badshahi Masjid; Data Darbar masjid; Jamia Naeemia; Jamaat Islami headquarters in Mansoora; Jamiatul Muntazir Model Town; Idara Minhajul Hussain, Johar Town, Gaddafi Stadium; Lawrence Gardens; Model Town Park; Jamia Ashrafia; and Punjab University’s New Campus.

Governor Rafiq Rajwana offered Eid prayers at Badshahi Masjid and Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif at the Ittefaq Mosque in Model Town.

In their sermons, several prayer leaders condemned recent terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia. They emphasised the need for a united front in the fight against terrorism. Special prayers were offered for peace and prosperity in the country.

Security measures were put in place at around 20,000 mosques, imambargahs and other Eid congregation sites. City police also established control rooms for better coordination among its various wings. The divisional SPs, supervisory police officers and SHOs monitored security arrangements.

A special traffic plan was enforced to ensure smooth flow of traffic during Eid holidays. As many as 2,535 wardens performed duties.

Teams from the Lahore Waste Management Company, the Water and Sanitation Agency and district administrations made arrangements for maintaining cleanliness including timely drainage of rain water.

Public parks, national monuments and other recreational places attracted large crowds. On Thursday, a flag lowering ceremony was held at the Wagha border in the evening.

Corps Commander visist forward areas

Lahore Corps Commander Lt General Sadiq Ali spent the Eid day at forward areas near international border in Lahore and Kasur districts. A statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations said that he exchanged Eid greetings with personnel from the Armed Forces and the Punjab Rangers and joined them for lunch.

Dengue surveillance activities

Advisor to Chief Minister on Health Khwaja Salman Rafiq and Lahore DCO Capt (r) Muhammad Usman visited the Miani Sahb graveyard on Eid to monitor dengue surveillance activities.

Rafiq praised the surveillance teams for their dedication and urged to keep up their hard work. He and Railways Minister Saad Rafiq later visited Child Protection and Welfare Bureau to extend Eid greetings to children living there.

On Thursday, Salman Rafiq visited Sheikhupura to monitor dengue surveillance activities at Ferozwala’s Imamia Colony area. He also visited a tehsil headquarters (THQ) hospital to monitor arrangements for provision of treatment facilities to the patients and general hygiene. Rafiq expressed satisfaction with the overall arrangements.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 9^th, 2016.