Muharram security plan: 150,000 cops deployed across Punjab

Video recording of sensitive processions and majalis will be ensured

LAHORE: About 300,000 personnel will be deployed for security across the province to keep peace during Muharram processions, according to the final plan announced by the Punjab police.

More than 150,000 policemen, 43,000 Police Qaumi Razakar and 98,000 volunteers will be deployed to maintain peace, said Operations Additional IG Arif Nawaz while speaking to RPOs and DPOs in a meeting held at the CCPO office on Thursday.

A three-layered security plan has been finalised. Mourners will be physically searched and pass walkthrough gates before entering imambargahs, majalis and processions. Video recording of some sensitive processions and majalis will also be ensured.

Punjab IGP Mushtaq Ahmed Sukhera directed the officials to personally monitor security arrangements at major and sensitive majalis and processions in their divisions and districts.

Sukhera also directed them to issue special identity cards to the deployed security personnel so that their identities could be verified at security points.

“Nobody will be allowed to exhibit guns,” he said, adding vehicles with tinted glasses, blue lights and green number plates would not be permitted on routes.

“Action will be taken against the violators,” he said, advising officials to strictly implement the loudspeaker act.

The Lahore city police also devised a security plan during a meeting held at the CCPO office on the same day. Under the plan, over 17,000 policemen will be deployed at 5,327 majalis and 650 mourning processions in the city.

CCPO Amin Wains has directed the divisional SPs to install closed-circuit television cameras to monitor majalis. A large number of volunteers will also be deployed.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 7^th, 2016.