Baisakhi festival: Over 2,000 pilgrims to visit Punja Sahib

Police finalise security plan for pilgrims and the Gurdwara.

ISLAMABAD: Over 2,000 Indian pilgrims are likely to arrive at Gurdwara Punja Sahib in Hassanabdal on April 12 to participate in the Baisakhi festival.

Punjab government has finalised security arrangements for the pilgrims. Sub-divisional Police officer (SDPO) Raja Taifour Akhter said that over 1,600 policemen would perform security duties at the festival. Four deputy superintendents, six inspectors, 11 sub-inspectors, 23 assistant sub-inspectors, 33 head constables, 606 constables, 12 lady constables and over 100 officials in plain clothes would be deployed in different areas around the temple.

He said walk through gates would be installed at the entrance to gurdwara and all people would be checked with metal detectors at the entrance.

SDPO said over 50 security cameras and walk through gates have been installed at all gurdwara gates. He said all religious places and main routes in the city would be put under strict vigilance of police and law enforcement agencies.

He said that policemen in plain clothes will keep local markets, bus stands and railway station as well as nearby places under constant surveillance. It has been decided that shops around gurdwara would be closed and traffic would be diverted to other routes.

Teams of Rescue 1122 will remain on standby to provide medical care to pilgrims or meet any other emergency.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 5^th, 2015.