Inspector General Police (IGP) Punjab Arif Nawaz Khan on Sunday directed all regional police officers (RPOs) and district police officers (DPOs) to use technology and personally review security arrangements for Muharram processions in their respective areas.
The officers should brief the policemen deputed on security duty about the sensitivity of the duty so that they could perform their duties well, he added.
He ordered for providing four-layer security to sensitive Majalis and processions while using walk-through gates, metal detectors, CCTV monitoring and video recording for security of mourners.
He issued these directions in a letter issued to the CCPO Lahore, all RPOs, CPOs and DPOs of the province.
The IGP said the timing of majalis and processions should be strictly observed and search sweep and combing operations should be continued in the vicinity of sensitive Imambargahs, processions and majalis, he added. Snipers, along with commandos on the rooftops along the routes of processions, should be deployed, he added.
He stressed that no mourner should face any problem due to security arrangements. As per directions of the IGP, strength of force had been enhanced, as about 150,000 security personnel would perform duties at 36,138 majalis and 9,118 processions during Muharram. Arif Nawaz Khan directed the CCPO Lahore, all RPOs and DPOs to implement the ban on wall-chalking and loudspeaker act strictly and members of proscribed organisations and fourth schedule should be strictly monitored, he added.
He said police officers should keep a close coordination with administration of Imambargahs and local peace committees besides engaging members of peace committees for security of majalis and processions.—APP
