Eidul Fitr concludes in safe, festive environment
Police launch crackdown on bikers without helmets, racers and underage drivers
PHOTO: EXPRESS
LAHORE:
During Eidul Fitr, when citizens met relatives, friends, neighbours and loved ones after prayers, the Lahore police was busy ensuring that the festivities concluded peacefully. It was the end of a long month for the force which was constantly on duty during the holy month of Ramazan as it patrolled markets.
Lahore Police had deployed at least 15,000 officials for security at public places and religious congregations on Eid. The participants were allowed entry after being frisked and checked by metal detectors/walkthrough gates. Snipers were deployed on nearby rooftops.
Lahore DIG Operations Ashfaq Khan and Lahore SSP Operations Ismail Kharak visited all Eidgahs, met with personnel deployed for security and exchanged Eid greetings. Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Captain (Retd) Liaquat Ali Malik also checked on all traffic wardens and exchanged Eid greetings on the streets. Citizens faced parking problems when they reached graveyards after Eid prayers and the CTO himself used a lifter to put the vehicles on the side of the road.
After performing their duties at Eidgahs, 3,000 police personnel were deployed outside different parks and other recreational spots. During the deployment, SSP Ismail personally checked all security personnel and traffic wardens who were also deployed outside recreational places. In order to maintain a smooth vehicle flow, CTO Liaqat patrolled the streets with a squad of traffic police to prevent one-wheeling.
Speaking to The Express Tribune, DIG Ashfaq said that during the three days of Eidul Fitr, around 30,000 calls were received by the force to which the Police Response Unit and Dolphin Force responded in a recorded time of seven to 10 minutes. Most of the calls were about domestic fights and missing children.
Around 27 missing children were found from parks and streets and handed over to their parents/guardians, while action was taken on the calls of dozens of complainants reporting domestic fights in different police precincts.
The DIG maintained that the protection of people’s lives and property was ensured due to effective checking at the internal and external routes of the city and continuous patrolling across the city. “No unpleasant incidents occurred.”
Meanwhile, the City Traffic Police Lahore (CTPL), in collaboration with Lahore Police, cracked down on motorcyclists performing wheelies and underage drivers/riders. As many as 32 cases were registered and 870 bikes were impounded. The CTPL City and Saddar divisions took action against 719 and 956 underage drivers, respectively. The traffic police also cracked down on 1,300 drivers without helmets.
At least 46 patrolling officers were deputed on the occasion to discourage underage driving and wheelies. CTPL Spokesperson Arif Rana said Saddar Division SP Traffic Sardar Asif and SP City Hammad Raza Qureshi personally took to the roads to review arrangements.
During Eid, cases of head injuries being brought to hospitals increased manifold. A doctor commented they had been receiving 40/45 cases in a day, on average, with three to four having to go to the operating table. Most of the victims were children, he said. Medics had been noticing a steady increase in the number of paediatric patients during Eid every year.
A doctor shared that at least 80 patients with head injuries were admitted to the Lahore General Hospital (LGH) over the last two days. As many as 150 cases of mild head injury were also reported.
Lahore Mayo Hospital operated on 13 head injuries on the first day of Eid, 16 cases on the second day and six cases on the third day.
Moreover, wheelie performers and underage drivers were out in full force, oblivious to the fact that their way of celebration could endanger the lives or others and their own.
On Eid, the rush on Lahore’s roads reduced as many people left for their hometowns to celebrate Eid. The empty roads awoke the speed demons in many drivers and caused an increase in accidents.
CTPL Spokesperson Arif Rana shared that authorities launched a massive awareness campaign before Eid. CTPL placed banners and flexes on all major roads of the city, bearing messages on the dangers of wheelies and underage driving. The campaign also hoped to increase awareness on abiding by traffic laws.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar, Inspector General of Punjab Police Arif Nawaz, CCPO BA Nasir and DIG Operations Ashfaq Ahmad Khan offered their EId prayers at Qila Gujjar Singh Police lines. They met officials to share a meal and also distributed Eidi
Published in The Express Tribune, June 8th, 2019.
During Eidul Fitr, when citizens met relatives, friends, neighbours and loved ones after prayers, the Lahore police was busy ensuring that the festivities concluded peacefully. It was the end of a long month for the force which was constantly on duty during the holy month of Ramazan as it patrolled markets.
Lahore Police had deployed at least 15,000 officials for security at public places and religious congregations on Eid. The participants were allowed entry after being frisked and checked by metal detectors/walkthrough gates. Snipers were deployed on nearby rooftops.
Lahore DIG Operations Ashfaq Khan and Lahore SSP Operations Ismail Kharak visited all Eidgahs, met with personnel deployed for security and exchanged Eid greetings. Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Captain (Retd) Liaquat Ali Malik also checked on all traffic wardens and exchanged Eid greetings on the streets. Citizens faced parking problems when they reached graveyards after Eid prayers and the CTO himself used a lifter to put the vehicles on the side of the road.
After performing their duties at Eidgahs, 3,000 police personnel were deployed outside different parks and other recreational spots. During the deployment, SSP Ismail personally checked all security personnel and traffic wardens who were also deployed outside recreational places. In order to maintain a smooth vehicle flow, CTO Liaqat patrolled the streets with a squad of traffic police to prevent one-wheeling.
Speaking to The Express Tribune, DIG Ashfaq said that during the three days of Eidul Fitr, around 30,000 calls were received by the force to which the Police Response Unit and Dolphin Force responded in a recorded time of seven to 10 minutes. Most of the calls were about domestic fights and missing children.
Around 27 missing children were found from parks and streets and handed over to their parents/guardians, while action was taken on the calls of dozens of complainants reporting domestic fights in different police precincts.
The DIG maintained that the protection of people’s lives and property was ensured due to effective checking at the internal and external routes of the city and continuous patrolling across the city. “No unpleasant incidents occurred.”
Meanwhile, the City Traffic Police Lahore (CTPL), in collaboration with Lahore Police, cracked down on motorcyclists performing wheelies and underage drivers/riders. As many as 32 cases were registered and 870 bikes were impounded. The CTPL City and Saddar divisions took action against 719 and 956 underage drivers, respectively. The traffic police also cracked down on 1,300 drivers without helmets.
At least 46 patrolling officers were deputed on the occasion to discourage underage driving and wheelies. CTPL Spokesperson Arif Rana said Saddar Division SP Traffic Sardar Asif and SP City Hammad Raza Qureshi personally took to the roads to review arrangements.
During Eid, cases of head injuries being brought to hospitals increased manifold. A doctor commented they had been receiving 40/45 cases in a day, on average, with three to four having to go to the operating table. Most of the victims were children, he said. Medics had been noticing a steady increase in the number of paediatric patients during Eid every year.
A doctor shared that at least 80 patients with head injuries were admitted to the Lahore General Hospital (LGH) over the last two days. As many as 150 cases of mild head injury were also reported.
Lahore Mayo Hospital operated on 13 head injuries on the first day of Eid, 16 cases on the second day and six cases on the third day.
Moreover, wheelie performers and underage drivers were out in full force, oblivious to the fact that their way of celebration could endanger the lives or others and their own.
On Eid, the rush on Lahore’s roads reduced as many people left for their hometowns to celebrate Eid. The empty roads awoke the speed demons in many drivers and caused an increase in accidents.
CTPL Spokesperson Arif Rana shared that authorities launched a massive awareness campaign before Eid. CTPL placed banners and flexes on all major roads of the city, bearing messages on the dangers of wheelies and underage driving. The campaign also hoped to increase awareness on abiding by traffic laws.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar, Inspector General of Punjab Police Arif Nawaz, CCPO BA Nasir and DIG Operations Ashfaq Ahmad Khan offered their EId prayers at Qila Gujjar Singh Police lines. They met officials to share a meal and also distributed Eidi
Published in The Express Tribune, June 8th, 2019.