Daily Times

LAHORE: Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Capt (r) Muhammad Amin Wains has vowed that the city police would utilise all available resources to provide protection to all participants of majalis and processions during the month of Muharram.

Presiding over a meeting of senior police officials with Shia clerics and trustees of majalis and processions at Police Lines Qilla Gujjar Singh on Wednesday, the CCPO said that the police had installed several CCTV cameras at all sensitive points to monitor the activities and maintain law and order across the city. He said that there would be a complete ban on pillion riding on Ashura, while mobile phone jamming would be decided on the request of the field officers. “In order to handle any untoward situation, the Pakistan Army and Punjab Rangers will remain on standby. All kinds of leaves of the operational staff have been cancelled during Muharram.”

He said that like every year the police officials would also perform their security duties at all sensitive points, especially the entry and exit points of the city, as per the standard operating procedure. He said that a large number of police officials would be deputed at all majalis and processions in sensitive areas, while a control room would also be established to monitor the activities.

He said that the Dolphin Force and Police Response Unit personnel would perform patrolling duties in all sensitive areas of the city to thwart any untoward incident.

Operations DIG Dr Haider Ashraf, Anti-Riot SP Muhammad Naveed, Headquarters SP Atif Nazir, members of the district peace committee, Allama Mushtaq Hussain Jafri, Khawaja Bisharat Karbali, Agha Shah Hussain Qaslabas, Toquer Baba and others were also present on the occasion. The CCPO directed the Operations DIG to recheck the security plan for Muharram, keeping in view the recommendations of the members of the committee. He said that legal action should be taken against misuse of loudspeakers without any discrimination.

The CCPO directed that everyone would have to follow the code of ethics to promote harmony during the sacred month, and added that the violators would be dealt with strictly. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Haider Ashraf said that the police would also frisk all participants of majalis and processions with metal detectors, while barbed wires, walkthrough gates and barriers would be installed at the venues of such gatherings. He said that the police would also provide training to volunteers at Qilla Gujjar Singh during the next few days.

The DIG said that a search operation would continue across the city, and added that a combing operation was underway in all Afghan residential areas. He said that security officials would be put on high alert at all entry and exit points of the city. He added that four checking points would be set up to scan the intending participants of majalis and processions.

Published in Daily Times, September 21^st 2017.