Police chalk out foolproof security plan for Muharram

Every district to prepare own security plan keeping in view ground realities

LAHORE: In order to avert any untoward incident and maintain peace and harmony during Muharram, Punjab Police have decided to deploy 124,537 personnel along with members of special units of police and volunteers.

The decision was taken during a video-link conference with DPOs/RPOs at Central Police Office Lahore on Thursday. The meeting was chaired by Inspector General of Police Arif Nawaz. All the senior police officers of CPO participated in the meeting. Under the plan, 124,537 police officers/officials would be deployed to provide security to 36,216 majalis (religious congregations) and 9,137 processions. As many as 37,398 police volunteers, 5,580 members of special police units and 85,515 volunteers would perform duties during the month of Muharram. Processions and majalis have been categorised into A, B and C according to their sensitivity and security would be deployed accordingly. Every majlis or procession would be provided four-layered security.



The IGP said every district should prepare its own security plan keeping in view the ground realities. He ordered DPOs/RPOs to conduct the briefings of police officials on daily basis. "Scanning of routes must be conducted before the start of any procession or majalis. Vendors around the procession must be checked thoroughly," IGP Nawaz directed the officers. He also instructed the police officials not to leave their positions until all the participants leave the venue of a majlis or a procession. "Snipers must be deployed on nearby rooftops. Search and sweep operations will be conducted on daily basis and implementation of Loudspeakers Act must be ensured across the province during Muharram," he said.



The crackdown against the display of arms, vehicles with tinted glasses, green number plates has already been launched.

Nawaz said special identity cards must be issued to security guards and recording of sensitive processions and majalis and monitoring of processions/majalis through CCTV cameras should also be ensured.

Meanwhile, Lahore Police have formulated a comprehensive security plan for over 8,000 processions and majalis during Muharram. The plan was finalised during a meeting of divisional SPs chaired by DIG Operations Dr Haider Ashraf at his office on Tuesday and a meeting chaired by CCPO Amin Wains of senior officers of Lahore Police with members of peace committee including Mufti Intakhab Ahmad, Allama Mushtaq Hussain Jaffery, Javed Akbar Saqi, Khawaja Basharat Qarbalai, Agha Shah Hussain Qazalbash, Munawwar Chandm Allama Azam Raza Naqvi, Peer Usman Noori, Toqeer Baba and others at Qila Gujjar Singh on Wednesday.

Speaking on the occasion, DIG Operations Dr Haider Ashraf said security plan would be monitored and implemented at all police stations. He ordered SPs, DSPs and SHOs to remain in close coordination with the administration of majalis/processions, Safe City Authority, District Government and Special Branch.



He said every procession/majalis would be geo-tagged and CCTV cameras have been installed for effective monitoring. "Functioning and provision of other security material including walkthrough gates, wireless sets, barbed wires and metal detectors must also be ensured. These geo-tagged majalis/processions will be monitored at Control Rooms set up at DIG Operations Office and CCPO Office," he said.

A religious scholar and member of Peace Committee Mufti Intakhab Ahmad said Pakistan was in the state of war against extremism and in such circumstances, there was a dire need of unity.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 22^nd, 2017.