Flood threat: No Eid break for Rescue officials in Khanewal

Faisalabad and Bahawalpur finalise security plans

BAHAWALPUR/ MULTAN/ FAISALABAD/ LAHORE: Khanewal Emergency DO Ijaz Anjum has cancelled Eidul Azha holidays of Rescue 1122 staff in view of potential floods.

Anjum made the decision at a meeting on Monday. He also led a team to the flood-hit areas and monitored relief activities. He inspected the machinery being used for the purpose.

Anjum ordered that ambulances be deployed and rescue posts set up in areas declared sensitive for floods. He announced that he and his team would spend Eid with flood victims.

Earlier, Rescue Safety Officer Kanwar Faheem Ahmad briefed the session about the strategy devised to deal with potential floods. He said the Rescue 1122 staff had been put on alert. Separately, the Vehari district administration has issued a flood warning in River Sutlej.

Eid security plan

At least 5,000 police officials would be on duty during Eid holidays, a spokesman for Faisalabad Police said on Monday.



He said 1,090 Eid congregations – 815 at mosques and 275 on open places – would be held in the city.

The spokesman said five SPs, 13 DSPs, 15 inspectors, 119 sub-inspectors, 421 assistant-sub inspectors and more than 3,500 head constables and constables would provide security during the holiday. Elite Force personnel would patrol places declared sensitive with regard to security, he said.

In Bahawalpur, DPO Sarfraz Ahmad Falki said on Monday that 1,350 security officials would be on duty on Eid holidays. As many as 369 Eid congregations will be held in the district.

Falki said 27 inspectors, 178 sub-Inspectors and assistant sub-inspectors, 815 head constables and constables and 365 volunteers would be deployed across the district.

The DPO said security arrangements had been divided into three categories. A pre-Eid security plan would cover markets, shopping centres and hotels, he said. Patrolling of these places would be increased ahead of the festival. Under the second category, he said police would be deployed at Eidgahs, mosques and imambargahs. The SDPOs and SHOs concerned have been asked to conduct a survey of these premises, Falki said.

The DPO said the SHOs would meet peace committees in their areas to make security plans. He urged members of peace committees to keep in touch with police stations for any help.

Falki said security of all parks and public places would be beefed up under the third category. He said security would be tightened on highways on the third day of Eid.

The DPO said Elite Force’s Quick Response Force (QRF) would help police maintain order. Policemen on motorcycles would patrol the city. Policewomen would be deployed at parks and other recreational places to frisk woman visitors.

Falki ordered that walkthrough gates and jammers be installed at the places declared sensitive with regard to security.

No roasting

Lahore DCO Muhammad Usman has banned roasting of skulls and trotters of sacrificial animals on roadsides in city limits, except in union councils 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 144, 147 and 150.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 22^nd,   2015.