Capital’s main procession ends amid tight security

Rawalpindi’s major procession to be held on Muharram 10

ISLAMABAD: The main procession of Muharram 9 culminated safely at designated point amid tight security. A large number of mourners attended processions to pay tribute to Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) and his followers who sacrificed their lives in the tragedy of Karbala.

Effective security measures were taken for the prevention of any untoward incident while the entrants were allowed entry after frisking and passing through walk-through gates. Aerial monitoring of processions was done through helicopters.

All roads leading to the procession route were sealed off with barbed wires, tents and containers. Cellular services in areas where processions were taken out remained suspended until the culmination of processions.

The main processions were taken out from Markazi Imambargah Asna Ashra and culminated at the same Imambargah in sector G-6 after passing through traditional routes.

In garrison city, the Muharram 9 procession was taken out from Chati Batyan Ali Manzil around noon and after passing through its predetermined route, culminated at Imambargah Colonel Mehboob.

Foolproof security measures were taken by Rawalpindi police with the deployment of additional force.



The roads, streets and markets along the route remained closed while metro bus service between the twin cities also remained suspended.

Meanwhile for the main matam procession of Rawalpindi on Muharram 10, at least 5,500 policemen would be deployed to maintain law and order.

Police will have backup from Pakistan Army, Rangers and Punjab Constabulary, the police spokesperson said.

Under the security plan, no one would be allowed to stand on rooftops of commercial and residential buildings situated along the routes of mourning processions and carry the weapons.

City police has completed all the arrangements to maintain peace during the Muharram and armed policemen, volunteers, elite force and lady police would be deployed to give security cover to the processions.

9th Muharram concludes without incident

Special checking of the procession routes will be completed after clearance by the bomb disposal squad and there will also be aerial surveillance of mourning processions to ensure foolproof security.

CCTV cameras and walk through gates will be installed to provide complete security cover to the mourners. Foolproof security arrangements have been finalised for 1,916 majalis and 447 Muharram processions in Rawalpindi district, being held under tight security arrangements from Muharram 1 to 30.

Police have finalised all arrangements for the security of Majalis and processions. A total of 316 traditional and licensed Muharram processions and 1,766 Majalis would be held till Ashura in the district

Traffic Plan

Rawalpindi Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Muhammad Bin Ashraf has said that eight DSPs, 40 inspectors, 611 wardens and 127 traffic assistants were performing special duties on Youme Ashur on Muharram 10.

He said that special traffic arrangements had been made in other tehsils too and advised citizens to follow pillion-riding ban.

Regarding the traffic diversions on occasion of Ashura, Ashraf said that the CTO said the main procession routes, including DAV College Road, Fowara Chowk, Raja Bazaar and others would be barricaded and no vehicular traffic would be allowed to go ahead of these locations. All the traffic would be diverted to other routes.

There would also be a diversion at Mashriq Hotel on City Saddr Road from where public transport such as wagons and Suzukis would be diverted towards Saddar.

Traffic would also be banned from Pir Chuha Chowk towards Imambargah Baltistania and the traffic would also be diverted towards Asghar Mall Scheme and Pirwadhai Road.

He said a procession would also be carried out from Imambargah Yadgar-e-Hussaini, Satellite Town and traffic approaching both sides of Punjab College of Commerce, Hayyat Wali Hospital, Aziz Nursing Home, and Banni Chowk would be diverted to alternative routes.

The CTO urged the citizens to use alternative routes including old Airport Road, Rialto Chowk, Tippu Road, Rawal Road and Murree Road ahead of Chandi Chowk to reach Islamabad.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 10^th, 2019.