Combating threats: Muharram preparations for Pindi finalised

3,779 majalis will be held in the division between the first and tenth of Muharram.

RAWALPINDI:

The district administration on Saturday finalised security measures for Muharram, focusing on increased coordination between the concerned departments to maintain order in the city.

Senior Advisor to the Chief Minister of Punjab Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa chaired a meeting at the commissioner’s office, which was also attended by Punjab Chief Secretary Nasir Mehmud, Inspector General of Punjab Police Javed Iqbal and district administration officials.

According to a press release, Khosa directed that surety bonds should be obtained from the managements of mourning sessions and majalis to abide by the code of conduct issued by the Punjab Home Department. He said that speakers and zakreens should also be told not to deliver inflammatory speeches based on sectarian principles and wall chalking with sectarian language must immediately be removed from all districts of Rawalpindi Division.

In addition, the press release states that special contingents of commandoes and police officials should be deployed at sensitive points. District peace committees should also be involved in consultations for measures taken to maintain law and order, the minister said.

Punjab Chief Secretary Nasir Mehmud Khosa said that walk-through gates should be installed at Markazi mourning processions and at sensitive majalis sites. He said that police officials and private guards at Imambargahs and mourning processions should use metal detectors and that every participant should be searched out before entry.

The IGP informed the meeting that police in all of Punjab’s districts had been put on high alert. He said that local police officers should also be vigilant and employ comprehensive plans to tackle miscreants.

The head of Punjab police asked for more funds to meet the demands made of the police, especially for additional personnel and equipment.

Rawalpindi Commissioner Zahid Saeed and RPO Muhammad Zubair briefed the meeting on the security arrangements finalised by the concerned departments and said that the DCOs of Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal and Jehlum had already convened meetings regarding the finalisation of Muharram arrangements.

As many as 3,779 majalis will be held in Rawalpindi Division between the first and tenth of Muharram, along with 171 licensed mourning processions and 836 traditional processions during the month.

Khosa also said that permission for any new processions or majalis should not be granted to avoid raising any law and order situations in the division.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 20^th, 2011.