Security plan for Data Urs finalised
Police have devised a three-layered security plan for the 977th Urs of Data Ali Hajveri. As per the security plan, at least 2,000 policemen will be deployed under the supervision of three SPs, seven DSPs, 28 inspectors and 228 upper subordinates. The participants will be allowed entry after body search and checking at three points. Metal detectors and walk-through gates have been installed at the entry point of the shrine. DIG Operations Ashfaq Ahmad Khan said snipers would be deployed on nearby high rooftops. Men in civvies would be deployed to keep an eye on suspicious persons or activities besides monitoring with CCTV cameras. The roads and streets leading to the venue will be closed down using barbed wires and barricades. Teams of the police response unit (PRU) and Dolphin Squad will remain on patrolling duty in the surrounding areas. Parking will arranged established at a safe distance. Moreover, the communal meal distribution will also be done under the security protocols. Ashfaq asked the officers to clear encroachments, repair street lights and complete patchwork on all the roads leading towards the shrine.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 6th, 2020.