Youm-e-Ali: Police claim foolproof security as threat looms

As many as 7,000 personnel will be on duty for the occasion


Our Correspondent June 14, 2017
The Youm-e-Ali procession passing through MA Jinnah road in Karachi. PHOTO: INP

LAHORE: City Police claim to have devised a foolproof security plan for the occasion of Youm-e-Ali.

The plan was devised during a high-level meeting held at the CCPO Office. Senior police officers including DIG Operations Dr. Haider Ashraf, DIG Investigations Sultan Chaudhry, DIG Security Moen, SSP Investigations Ghulam Mubashir Maikan, SP Security Abadat Nisar and divisional SPs were present.

The city has been facing serious threats of possible terrorists attack since the start of Ramazan. Intelligence authorities have intimated city police repeatedly that terrorists can hit government installations as well as places of worship or public gathering.

DIG Operations Haider Ashraf had been conducting meetings on an almost daily basis, keeping these threats in view.

The meeting, chaired by CCPO Amins Wains, also considered the preparations to neutralise these threats. In 2010, the Youm-e-Ali procession was targeted and several innocent lives were lost.

Speaking on the occasion, the CCPO said the Lahore Police was utilising all available resources to ensure foolproof security arrangements. They would conduct search operations in different areas of the city, especially Afghan colonies, bus stands, hotels and railway stations. He ordered special attention to the screening of the procession route. On the occasion, he gave instructions to SP City to create a special strategy with the help of SDPOs and SHOs. Under it, he would get a clearance certificate for every shop and home in the way of the procession route. He also ordered the installation of CCTV cameras so that security arrangements could be easily monitored.

The CCPO further ordered checking of the security route by the Special Branch, Emergency Response Unit and sniffer dogs.

He ordered special security measures during the last 10 days of Ramazan till Eidul Fitr.

CCPO gave instructions to SP AVLS/CRO that all CCTV cameras should be operational mode so all trouble could be avoided. The CCPO gave instruction to ensure the circle-wise snap checking, raids against criminal offenders and special teams to arrest gangs in the city.

He warned all officers that no one would leave duty to all mourners had dispersed.

The CCPO gave instructions to the CTO to ensure special arrangement for the flow of traffic on the procession day and in the month of Ramazan, overall. DIG Operation Dr Haider Ashraf said all policemen would use computerised cards on duty and as many as 7,000 personnel would be on duty.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 14th, 2017.

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