Aerial surveillance: Drones keep watch over processions in AJK, Hazara division

Speakers call for sectarian unity, warn against designs of enemies of country

ABBOTTABAD/MUZAFFARABAD: With drones keeping watch overhead, dozens of small and big processions in different parts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Hazara division on Muharram 9 concluded peacefully.

In AJK, the main procession was taken out from Plate area that passed through the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) road and culminated in the Imambargh Pir Alm Shah Bukhari before evening set in.

In Haripur and Mansehra, two cities declared as sensitive by law enforcement agencies, processions were taken out amid strict security.

In Mansehra, the main procession emerged from Imambargah Mehmooda in village Peeran and culminated after following its pre-designated route.

In Haripur, the Alam and Zuljinah procession emerged from the Imambargah Imamia Sajjadia Muhalla Motian and ended at Imambargah Qadeemia Muhalla Chowki after passing through its predetermined route.

Mourners from different parts of the district participated in Muharram rituals to tune of odes recited by zakirs. Poetry depicting the plight of the martyrs of Karbala, known as nohas, resonated through the procession.

For the first time, surveillance drones were used by the security forces to monitor the processions which passed through heavily cordoned-off routes.

Walk-through gates were also installed to screen people participating in the processions.

Bazaars sealed

In order to avoid any untoward incident, the Haripur administration has sealed the main bazaar and its link roads on Monday evening, hours before the main processions were due to commence.

Speaking to the mourners, famous Shia cleric Dr Hassnain Raza Turabi said that Muslims belonging to different sects of Islam were brothers. However, he said, some people were following the agenda of the enemies and were involved in inciting hatred, attacking places of worships, police, security agencies and innocent citizens . He said¬ such people were neither Muslims nor could they be called human beings.

He urged the participants to inculcate spirit of unity among them in the real sense by shunning sectarian differences in the larger interest of Islam and Pakistan.

Muharram 10 plans

Security has been tightened for the Muharram 10 in AJK where the main procession is expected to be taken out from Imambargah Pir Alm Shah Bukhari. The procession will pass through Upper Ada and culminate in the Imambargah Pir Alm Shah

More than 400 volunteers will also protect the Muharram processions in Muzaffarabad. Mobile phone services will also remain suspended from morning to evening in the main urban areas of AJK.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 12^th, 2016.