Staff Reporter
Rawalpindi District Police, on the directives of City Police Officer (CPO) Rawalpindi, Deputy Inspector General, Muhammad Ahsan Younis have finalized security arrangements for 9th and 10th of Muharram with deputation of 6987 security personnel and 800 volunteers.
According to a police spokesman, all available resources would be utilized to ensure strict security on Ashura.
He informed that total 79 processions including six of category A, 18 of B category and 55 of C category would be taken out on 9th Muharram while 65 processions including 16 of A category, eight of B category and 41 of C category would be organized on Ashura.
Law and order would be maintained at all cost and a peaceful atmosphere would be provided to the public, he added.
Under the security plan, security personnel of Special Branch Police, Elite Force, Frontier Constabulary, Lady Police would be deployed to ensure security, he added.
Leaves of all police personnel had been cancelled while a special 24/7 control room had also been set up in his office, the spokesman said.
Police would make concerted efforts with the help of other departments concerned aimed at maintaining law and order and to avert any untoward incident in the district.
He said strict monitoring of the processions would be conducted as Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras had been installed along routes of main Zuljinnah processions and places where Majalis would be held.
Mourners would only be allowed to join processions from different entry points and Quick Response Force would also be deployed for protection of the mourners, he said.
He said special contingents of commandos and police officials would also be deployed on 134 sensitive points.
Walk-through gates would be installed for main mourning procession, he said adding, police officials would use metal detectors along with the private guards of the Imambargahs and mourning procession managements.
Strict checking of vehicles would also be made at entry and exist points of the city, he added. Parking of vehicles and motorcycles would be banned along the routes of the mourning procession while all traffic proceeding towards these routes would be diverted.
He said, peace committees comprising ulema (Religious Scholars) of various sects had been formed while the district administration had banned entry of 37 ulema belonging to different sects in the district and issued gagging orders for 13 other scholars with a view to maintain peace and inter-faith harmony during the holy month.
He said, all the stakeholders had been taken onboard regarding security arrangements and special meetings were also organized to finalize measures to ensure law and order.
Surety bonds were being obtained from managements of mourning processions and Majalis that they would abide by the code of conduct issued by the Home Department Punjab.
He informed that district administration had imposed ban on entry of 37 fiery ulema and zakarians in Rawalpindi district.
