Officials to ensure tight security on Easter

IG orders more troops at recreation spots for celebrating Christians

LAHORE: Lahore police will utilise all possible resources to provide security at churches, parks and recreational spots, said Inspector General (IG) of Punjab Police Captain (retd) Arif Nawaz Khan.

He was speaking at the RPO conference at the Central Police Office on Friday.

He said CCTV cameras, walkthrough gates and metal detectors would be installed at the entry and exit points of all churches. He directed officials to deploy snipers and plain-clothed commandos around the buildings of churches so that Christians may perform their religious rites without fear.

He added that a new security plan for courts should be devised under the supervision of all RPOs and DPOs. He added the equal safety of judges, lawyers and litigants should be considered under the initiative.

The IGP said that strength of security personnel deployed over the entry and exit points of courts should be increased, walkthrough gates should be installed and no citizen may be allowed to enter the court premises without proper checking by a metal detector.

He stated that the patrolling system of the dolphin force and police response units during the duty time of courts should be made more efficient. He added that a special monitoring officer should be appointed to keep an eye on the security plan in every district, The official ensure complete the implementation and furnish a report to the higher authorities on a daily basis.



He asked that a careful security plan for 680 processions should be organised for Saturday (today) across Punjab on Hazrat Ali (RA) birthday. He added foolproof security should be provided to these processions and security personnel must be deputed.

Additional IG operations Aamir Zulfiqar Khan said that on Easter, the security of 2,564 churches would be divided into A, B, and C categories. He added that more than 30,000 police officers and officials from the ranks of DSP to constable must be deployed.

He added that monitoring of sensitive churches will be ensured through CCTV cameras.

The IG Punjab directed RPOs that in view of threat alerts, search, sweep, combing and intelligence based operations should be boosted in all districts. He added that there should be a strict vigilance over activities of defunct organisations and individual placed in the fourth schedule.

He emphasised that special attention should be paid to the security of courts. "No negligence will be tolerated in this regard."

He said more troops should be deployed at recreational spots because the Christian community goes outside to enjoy themselves after religious rituals. Therefore, the set SOPs should be strictly observed and nobody should be allowed to enter parks without proper checking.

He said that officials deployed on security duty should be briefed carefully about the importance of duty and sensitivity with respect to the current circumstances. The IG further stated that police pickets should be established near IC3 cameras.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 31^st, 2018.