Security heightened for Muharram processions

Rangers, companies of Pakistan Army will be on security duties

DERA GHAZI KHAN/ FAISALABAD/ LAHORE:

Thousands of visitors are expected at the shrine of Data Ganj Bakhsh on Thursday for the annual washing of the shrine, Lahore Commissioner Abdullah Khan Sumbal said on Thursday.

He was addressing a meeting. He said security arrangements were in place for the processions and the majalis. He said the activity would be monitored through CCTV cameras. He said arrangements for parking had also been finalised.



He said the LESCO administration had agreed to suspend its load shedding schedule on 9th and 10th Muharram. The commissioner said back-up generators had been set up as well.

The Home Department has banned display of firearms. Rangers and several companies of Pakistan Army will be on security duty in several parts of the city.

In Dera Ghazi Khan, DPO Ghulam Mubashar Mekan said pillion riding and firing in the air had been banned near gatherings.



He said 1,500 police officials had been deployed for security of 30 majalis and 90 processions.

He said 450 scouts, 300 lady police officers and 900 policemen would perform security duties.

He said two companies of Pakistan Army had been deployed in the district. The DP said Rangers had been deployed at Taunsa Barrage and the Ghazi Ghat bridge.



He said the mourning processions would be monitored through CCTV cameras.

In Faisalabad, Population Welfare Secretary Altaf Aizad and Punjab DIG Traffic Rana Muhammad Iqbal checked security arrangements.

They were told that 137 majalis and 95 processions would be organised on 9th Muharram.



Of these, six majalis and four processions had been declared Category A (extremely sensitive), 10 majalis and 13 processions had been put in Category B (sensitive) and 121 majalis and 78 processions of Category C.

The DIG said that 39 majalis would be organised in Jaranwala, 32 in Iqbal Division, 27 in Saddar, 22 in Madina Division and 17 in Lyallpur Division. He said 27 processions would be taken out from Iqbal Division, 23 from Jaranwala Division, 19 from Madina Division, 19 from Saddar Division and seven from Lyallpur Division.

The DIG said that police would provide four-tier security to the Muharram processions.

He said that volunteers would conduct body searches and identification of the participants while walkthrough gates and metal detectors would be used at the third tier.

He said that 10 Elite Force teams would patrol the district to take prompt action to avert any untoward incident.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 23^rd, 2015.