69,545 policemen to guard 3,513 Muharram processions in Sindh

CM directs police to curb street crime

KARACHI: A total of 3,513 processions will be held in the province during Muharram, of which 1,378 have been declared sensitive or most sensitive.

This was said on Monday in a meeting on law and order, chaired by Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, at CM House. Strict security measures will be taken to protect processions from any untoward incident, the meeting was informed.

The meeting also authorised crackdown against suspects belonging to banned outfits that have historically been involved in the killings of members of the Shia community.

"Police have categorised 319 processions as most sensitive and 1,059 as sensitive. Only 2,135 processions have been declared normal in Sindh," Karachi AIG Dr Amir Shaikh said while briefing the meeting on Muharram security plan.

The meeting was informed that as many as 69,545 policemen will be deployed to provide security to Muharram processions in Sindh, of whom 17,558 will be deployed in Karachi division, 16,816 in Hyderabad, 2,237 in Mirpurkhas, 9,280 in Shaheed Benazirabad, 8,253 in Sukkur and 15,401 in Larkana divisions.



In addition to police, 7,000 Rangers personnel will also be deployed all over Sindh on the occasion of Muharram.

It was also informed in the meeting that there were 1,996 imambargahs in the province, of them 356 were in Karachi division, 590 in Hyderabad, 118 in Mirpurkhas, 93 in Shaheed Benazirabad, 374 in Sukkur and 456 in Larakana divisions.

Referring to suicide attacks during Muharram in recent years in northern Sindh, the CM said districts of Shikarpur, Jacobabad and Larkana were sensitive and needed extra security measures. To this, Larkana and Sukkur DIGs informed the CM that all check posts located along Sindh-Balochistan and Sindh-Punjab borders had been strengthened to check movement of the people along and across the border.

The CM lauded ulema of different schools of thought for playing a constructive role in maintaining sectarian harmony among the people of Sindh. Shah maintained that there was no chance of any untoward incident during the holy month of Muharram, however, his government would take every possible measure to ensure security during Muharram.

Home Secretary Kazi Kabir briefed the meeting about code of conduct for all the religious and other organisations in order to maintain law and order during the month. The CM directed the district administration and law enforcement agencies to ensure peace and inter-sectarian harmony.

According to the home secretary, all the DIGs had been directed to assess and provide adequate security to notables till chehlum. He added that peace committees meetings were being held at all levels.

CCTV cameras

The CM directed the Karachi commissioner to use closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras during Muharram that were earlier procured for monitoring of polling stations during the general elections.



The meeting was informed that processions of Muharram 8, 9 and 10 would be monitored through 184 CCTV cameras, whereas, 43 various locations falling in processions routes would be monitored through 55 mobile cameras and 129 fixed cameras. A centralised command and control room had been established at the Central Police Office and a regional command centre at Civic Center.  

The CM also directed Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani to get the repair work of roads and lifting of debris completed from the areas that had been designated as routes of processions or majalis. Shah also directed the authorities to ensure general cleanliness and availability of fire tenders during Muharram.

 

Street crime

The CM also gave instructions to the police to curb street crime. The police informed Shah that they had started intelligence-based operations against street criminals, car lifters and bandits.

This operation will start giving results within the next few days, the Karachi AIG assured the CM who directed the police high-ups to take action against the SHOs concerned in case they failed to control street crime.