The interior ministry has directed all provincial home departments to put the police on a high state of alert. PHOTO: EXPRESS/WASEEM NAZIR
The federal government on Thursday issued an alert to all provinces over possible attacks on Muharram processions and security installations by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as feared by intelligence reports.
In an attempt to pre-empt such acts, the interior ministry has directed all provincial home departments to put the police on a high state of alert.
It has also directed civilian law-enforcement agencies – Pakistan Rangers Punjab, Pakistan Rangers Sindh, Frontier Constabulary, Frontier Corps and Gilgit-Baltistan Scouts – to work in close coordination with the local police.
“The TTP may target Muharram processions, security forces and sensitive places (security installations),” confirmed interior ministry spokesperson Omar Hameed Khan.
The National Crisis Management Cell (NCMC) had gathered several intelligence reports pointing to a possible wave of revenge attacks by the TTP during this week particularly on Muharram 9, 10 and 12.
In the wake of the reports, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan directed Pakistan Telecommunication Authority to work in close coordination with the NCMC and put its staff on alert to suspend the mobile phone services in around 80 to 90 cities across the country.
Officials familiar with the intelligence reports told The Express Tribune that the TTP’s prime targets are seven cities of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P). These cities include Dera Ismail Khan, Hangu, Tank, Kohat, Bannu and Kurram Agency and partly in Peshawar, Haripur and Abbottabad. “Cellular phone services will also remain suspended in more than 40 to 50 cities and towns of the province,” an official said on condition of anonymity.
The K-P government has imposed a blanket ban on motorcycles in Dera Ismail Khan—where the threat is considered higher. Leaves and holidays of the police personnel have been cancelled and an estimated 25,000 police and FC men have been deputed in these cities for Ashura, which is to be observed on Friday (today).
The cellular services will also remain suspended in some sectors of Islamabad and an estimated 3,000 security personnel from the police, Rangers and Quick Response Force are keeping a vigilant eye on all Imambargahs and other sensitive security places.
In Sindh, cellular phone services will remain suspended in Karachi, Sukkur, Hyderabad, Khairpur, Larkana, Mirpurkhas and Sanghar.
To bolster security in the province, army and Rangers contingents will assist local police in providing security to processions on 10th Muharram, they added.
According to an NCMC official, security forces and mourners’ processions in Karachi could be the prime target of the TTP. To counter these threats, some 9, 000 security personnel will perform security duties at the main Ashura procession in Karachi. Around 31, 500 police, Rangers and military personnel have also been deputed in several cities of Sindh.
In Punjab, some cities have been declared very sensitive and mobile phone services have been suspended throughout Multan, Pakpattan, Faisalabad, Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, Rajanpur, Khanewal, Sahiwal, Rahim Yar Khan, Chakwal, Muzaffargarh and Jhang, and in many areas of Lahore and Rawalpindi.
Around 79,000 police, Rangers and anti terrorism force personnel have been deputed in these cities to protect 1,438 processions and 3,700 ‘majalis’ to be held today.
An estimated 15, 000 police and FC personnel have been deputed for security purpose at extremely sensitive cities of Balochistan including Quetta, Khuzdar, Bolan and Jaafarabad, Interior Ministry officials said.
Law enforcement agencies have sealed off all the roads in Quetta leading to Muharram procession routes by erecting barricades and vehicles. Cellular services will remain suspended today (Friday) in Quetta due to the security reasons. According to the home secretary, Quetta is highly sensitive and vulnerable to the sectarian attacks.
The NCMC reports suggest that close to a dozen imambargahs in Gilgit-Baltistan have been declared ‘highly sensitive’. Around 3,000 security and G-B Scouts personnel have been deputed to ensure law and order during the month of Muharram. Cellular phone services will also remain suspended in sensitive areas of the northern region.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 15th, 2013.
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Jinnah argued that muslims are a separate nation etc and they will not be able to live with the majority hindus. Look at Pakistan now.. some muslim sects are declared non muslims. some muslim sects cannot celebrate their festivals safely, and what to talk about other minorities. Is this the "Muslim nation" Jinnah envisaged. Does any one in Pakistan remember what he stood for. Anyway thank you Jinnah for saving us Indians.
Only a month ago, whole county was shut down for ten days. Again, its more than one week that whole nation is doing nothing except with satisfaction of being alive. When we will stop these useless activities and live like a proud nation.