Stringent security plan prepared for Muharram

Special consideration given for ensuring security in Kurram

PESHAWAR / D KHAN / KOHAT: The provincial police department, along with other security forces in the province has devised a comprehensive security plan for Muharram.

In this regard, the security administration of the province has decided to keep a keen eye on the border with Afghanistan to monitor the movement of unscrupulous elements. For this purpose, the government has decided to enhance vigilance, especially in and around districts where there is a substantial population of Shia community including Hangu, Kohat, Dera Ismail Khan, Haripur, Abbottabad, Nowshera, Mardan and the provincial capital of Peshawar.

Moreover, the government has given special consideration to the newly-merged districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa such as Kurram.

Dera Ismail Khan is considered to be the most sensitive district in the province as far as security is concerned owing to the number of violent sectarian incidents reported there.

Religious leaders of both the Sunni and Shia community are frequently targeted there.

As a result, the DI Khan district police has divided the district into four security zones, ten sectors and 20 sub-sectors, a senior police source said. He added that as many as 6,000 police personnel will be deployed in the district to ensure stringent security measures.

Similarly, a local district administration official said that they will close the border with Afghanistan as soon as Muharram starts.

As a result, the movement of Afghan nationals across the border is expected to be severely restricted in the area for at least the first 10 days of the first month of the Islamic calendar.

In Kohat and Peshawar districts, police and security forces will cordon off the most sensitive areas of the province on Muharram 9 and Muharram 10.

Security measures will also be beefed up from when the month of Muharram starts.

Similar measures will be adopted later for Chehlum.

In Hazara division, tight security measures will be adopted while special security zones will be established for Muharram 9 and Muharram 10.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, August 26^th, 2019.