Ramazan preparations: Security arrangements finalised

Police guards to be deployed at 472 mosques in Bahawalpur.

BAHAWALPUR: The district police have finalised security arrangements for the month of Ramazan, Minister for Cooperative Malik Muhammad Iqbal Channar said on Tuesday. He was speaking in a meeting in the Committee Room of Bahawalpur DCO’s office. The arrangements include increased security at mosques and Ramazan bazaars.

Channar said police guards would be deployed at 472 mosques, divided into category A, which includes 56 mosques, category B, which has 55 mosques, and category C, which has 361 mosques.

Channar said more than 1,000 officials would be deployed, including about 770 constables, 207 sub inspectors, and 20 inspectors. About 1500 volunteers would also be deployed. Eighty teams on motorcycles will patrol the city. A twenty-four hour control room will be established at the district police office. The Regional Police Office will receive a report every two hours.



In Rahim Yar Khan, guards will be deployed at 453 mosques and eight Ramazan Bazaars. About 1,840 police officials, volunteers and mosque committee members will be deployed on guard at prayer times. About 170 officials will guard Ramadan Bazaars. An armed police official, two volunteers, and a mosque committee member each will guard 453 mosques that will hold taraveeh congregations.

Channar directed the assistant commissioners to supervise Ramazan Bazaars in their areas and ensure a steady supply of water, electricity, medical and other facilities at the Ramazan Bazaars. He also directed special arrangements in Ramazan Bazaars to prevent theft of motorcycles and bicycles. He said police officials should be deployed to prevent traffic jams.

In Sargodha, city police finalised the security plan for Ramazan in collaboration with the district government. A police department spokesman said that control cells had been activated at the DPO and DCO offices to monitor security arrangements. He said that police personnel, equipped with latest weapons, would be deployed in and around mosques while the Mujahid Squad and the Police Qaumi Razakar officials would also perform duties.

He said people entering the mosques would be frisked. Walk-through gates had also been installed for this purpose.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 10^th, 2013.