Staff Reporter
As many as 9,000 cops will ensure security on Ashura as Rawalpindi District Police have finalized all the arrangements to provide foolproof security cover to the Majalis and processions of 9th and10th Muharram.
According to City Police Officer (CPO) Rawalpindi DIG, Muhammad Ahsan Younas, all available resources were being utilized to ensure security of the mourners while elaborated security arrangements had been finalized to provide tight security cover to the Majalis and Muharram processions of 9th and 10th Muharram across district.
He informed that over 6000 police personnel were being deployed to ensure security of all established Majalis and traditional or licensed processions including main mourning processions for which the deployment would be ensured through security order.
Two companies of Army and Rangers each would also be available for 10th Muharram security, he informed.
In view of the terrorism threat, special security arrangements had been finalized for Muharram ul Harram in Rawalpindi district as it’s a sensitive area, he said adding, three-layer security cover would be provided particularly to the main Muharram processions with special arrangements ensuring rooftop duty, deployment of Quick Response Force (QRF) and arranging evacuation roads to give rapid response in case of any emergency.
Foolproof security arrangements had been finalized for main processions of A plus category which have regional participation of the mourners including Imam Bargah Ashiq Hussain, 10th Muharram procession which starts from Satellite Town and culminates at Imam Bargah Qadeemi, Tench Bhatta Muharram procession, Ashiq Hussain, Raja Bazar procession and Chor Chowk,
11th Muharram procession which starts from Naseerabad and culminates at Westridge.
All-out efforts were being made to ensure strict implementation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) issued by the government whether they are for corona or Muharram, he said adding, no one would be allowed to take law into their hands.
A special contingency plan was formulated and training of all the volunteers was also conducted at Police Lines, CPO informed.
Vetting of all the volunteers was conducted through special branch and they were issued proper identification cards, he said and informed that without identification card no one would be allowed to serve as volunteer.
No person would be allowed to carry weapon in Muharram procession except designated police officers, he said adding, police duty was also ensured at all main imambargahs with the start of Muharram.
Police would not allow anybody to organize a new Muharram procession and on SOPs violations as strict action would be taken against the violators, he added.
He said strict monitoring of the processions particularly main processions would be conducted as Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras would be installed at routes of main Zuljinnah processions and places where Majalis would be held.
He said special contingents of commandos and police officials would also be deployed on 109 trouble points.
Walk-through gates would be installed for main Muharram processions, he said adding that the police officials would use metal detectors along with the volunteers to be deployed at entrance gates of Imambargahs and mourning processions places.
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 routes of the mourning processions while all traffic proceeding towards these routes would be diverted.
