Daily Times

Inspector General of Police Punjab, Dr. Usman Anwar, has commended the police force for excellent security arrangements during first decade of Muharram ul Haram. IG Punjab Dr. Usman Anwar said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Police ensured foolproof arrangements throughout the province. Cabinet committee for Law & Order, members of peace committees, organizers of Muharram processions & majalis, and community leaders provided strong support to Punjab Police. IG Punjab said that Punjab Police provided extensive security for more than 38,000 majalis and 10,700 processions during first decade of Muharram. Pakistan Army, Rangers, and security departments provided full cooperation in ensuring the security of Ashura programs. Dr. Usman Anwar praised the performance of the CCPO Lahore and DIG Operations Lahore, all RPOs, CPOs, DPOs, and traffic officers, noting that overall, the situation remained peaceful across Punjab, including the provincial capital. IG Punjab Dr. Usman Anwar said that all field units of Punjab Police deserve commendation for performing their duties diligently. He also expressed gratitude to the citizens, scholars from various schools of thought, security agencies, and the media for their full cooperation. IG Punjab instructed the force to continue working with the same dedication to protect the lives and properties of the citizens in the future.

IG Punjab Dr. Usman Anwar himself was continuously present in the field to supervise the security arrangements of Ashura Day. IG Punjab visited the route of the main mourning procession originating from Nisar Haveli. He met with police officers & personnel deputed at the entrance gate of the Karbala Gamay Shah Imambargah and instructed the personnel at various points to remain more vigilant during duty. Supervisory officers briefed the IG Punjab about the security arrangements for the processions & majalis. IG Punjab encouraged the police officers assigned to security duties and appreciated their services. On this occasion, Dr. Usman Anwar also met the citizens and inquired about the security arrangements and facilities. IG Punjab commended the staff of the Solid Waste Management Company for maintaining good cleanliness arrangements.

On Ashura, IG Punjab Dr. Usman Anwar also visited Mayo Hospital. He inquired about the health of SP City Captain (Retd) Qazi Ali Raza and his operator, Muhammad Sohail, who were under treatment at the hospital. IG Punjab asked about their well-being and prayed for their speedy recovery. SP City Qazi Ali Raza and his operator were slightly injured while on duty during the main mourning procession. IG Punjab Dr. Usman Anwar said that SP City Qazi Ali Raza demonstrated excellent performance during Ashura Muharram, Punjab Police is proud of such brave and dedicated officers. IG Punjab instructed the doctors to provide the best possible medical care to SP City and his operator. Senior officers, including ASP Shahdara Circle Ehsan Shah, accompanied him.

Under the leadership of IG Punjab Dr. Usman Anwar, police teams across the province ensured foolproof security arrangements for main processions & majalis on Ashura. Security remained on high alert across the province, including Lahore, with additional personnel deployed at sensitive locations. Over 135,000 officers and personnel of Punjab Police performed security duties for mourning processions and gatherings. In Lahore, more than 15,000 police officers and personnel were on duty for the security of the processions and gatherings. On Ashura, 2,730 mourning processions were taken out and over 2,500 gatherings were held across the province. The processions included 415 categorized as A, 591 as B, and 1,724 as C. The majalis (gatherings) included 293 categorized as A, 589 as B, and 1,762 as C. In the provincial capital, 46 mourning processions were taken out, and 227 gatherings were held on Ashura day. In the Sheikhupura region, 96 processions and 36 gatherings were held. In the Gujranwala region, 363 processions and 302 gatherings were held. In the Rawalpindi region, 202 processions and 307 gatherings were held. In the Sargodha region, 427 processions and 427 gatherings were held. In the Faisalabad region, 561 processions and 258 gatherings were held. In the Multan region, 284 processions and 224 gatherings were held. In the Sahiwal region, 119 processions and 47 gatherings were held. In the D.G. Khan region, 428 processions and 639 gatherings were held. In the Bahawalpur region, 204 processions and 83 gatherings were held. 700 CTD personnel, 1500 Special Branch personnel, 5572 Traffic Police personnel, and 32,104 volunteers assisted in the Ashura security arrangements. Punjab Police received special cooperation from the Pakistan Army and Rangers. All government SOPs, including implementation of Section 144, were strictly adhered to. RPOs, CPOs, DPOs, and traffic officers personally supervised security and traffic arrangements by being present in the field.