Ashura processions underway

Ashura is being observed with fervor throughout the country, amid terror threats and heightened security.

Ashura is being observed with religious fervor throughout the country, amid terror threats and heightened security measures.

Thousands of mourners are commemorating the great sacrifice of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) and his family members at Karbala. Mourning processions all over the country that started out from their traditional Imam Bargahs in the morning are headed towards their culmination points.

Karachi's main procession started out from Nishtar Park with thousands of police, rangers, scouts and volunteers personnel on security duty. Surveillance helicopters are also being used.

In Lahore, all roads leading to the Ashura procession have been blocked with barricades and barbed wires.

In Peshawar, where a grenade attack occurred last night, security has been beefed up and all mobile services have been jammed along the procession routes.

In Quetta, thousands of police, Frontier Constabulary and Balochistan Constabulary personnel have been deployed. Several check posts have also been set up in the city to check vehicles entering the city. The main procession in Quetta will culminate at Alamdar road after passing through its traditional route.

Foolproof security has also been implemented in the Federal Capital of Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Hyderabad to ensure the Muharram processions go about peacefully.