Rawalpindi police seek army deployment for Chehlum

Traffic department issues diversion plans

RAWALPINDI: In a bid to ensure foolproof security on the occasion of the Chehlum of the martyrs of Karbala, Rawalpindi police have requested deployment of military for protection of the central procession.

According to the police spokesperson, cellular service will be blocked along the route of the processeion, it was decided in a meeting chaired by City Police Officer (CPO) Faisal Rana here on Saturday.

The CPO said a comprehensive security plan had been formulated in collaboration with concerned law enforcement agencies and civil administration.

Under the security arrangements, Army troops would be deployed along with police personals during processions and Majalis, while no one would be allowed to stand on rooftops of commercial and residential buildings situated along the procession routes.

Respective officials should ensure provision of required facilities like uninterrupted electricity supply streetlights, splash of water on roads, removal of stones and other encroachments on the way of the procession.

Walk through gates would be installed for the screening of participants, and surveillance of processions would be carried out through video-recording and CCTV cameras installed especially for this purpose.

The entire procession route would be blocked with barbed wires while the procession would be provided three layered security, the official said and added that mounted police would also perform duties during the activity.

The City Traffic Police (CTP) Rawalpindi has finalized all the arrangements for Chehlum of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) to be observed here on Sunday.

According to Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Rawalpindi, Muhammad Bin Ashraf, the CTP has issued a comprehensive traffic plan to ensure foolproof security of the mourners.

There would be complete ban on parking of any vehicle, motorcycle and handcarts on the route of Chehlum processions while emergency squads would also be deployed to maintain the flow of traffic in the city, he added.

The traffic police have prepared a traffic plan to facilitate the motorists, he said.He informed that three DPs, 14 inspectors, 152 traffic wardens and 32 traffic assistants would perform special duties on Chehlum and make all out efforts to ease the traffic flow.He further said that the officials would also ensure parking at 200 meter distance from the route of processions. He said, the traffic officers had been directed to remove all kind of encroachments from the routes of processions besides keeping a vigil on the suspects and outlaws to maintain law and order situation.

In order to ensure security for the mourners, the Dev Road would remain close for all kind of traffic from College Chowk to Fawara Chowk, he said adding, similarly, no vehicular traffic would be allowed on City Saddar Road, Kashmiri Bazaar Road, Ganjmandi Road, Bagh Sardaran Road, Gordon College Road, fifth Road, fourth Road and Asghar Mall Road. 

Published in The Express Tribune, October 20^th, 2019.