The Punjab Home Department has issued directives to ensure foolproof arrangements for the 983rd annual ghusl (ceremonial washing) of the shrine of Hazrat Ali bin Usman Hajveri, popularly known as Data Ganj Bakhsh (RA), scheduled to be held on the 9th of Muharram.
According to a spokesperson for the department, all participants attending the ceremony will be provided complete security cover. The deputy commissioner (DC) and the capital city police officer (CCPO) have been directed to prepare a comprehensive security plan to effectively deal with any emergency situation.
The department directed Inspector General of Police (IGP) Abdul Kareem to submit daily reports on intelligence-based operations, search operations and surprise checking conducted in connection with the event.
Special emphasis has been placed on the security and convenience of female devotees, with instructions for the deployment of women police personnel at prominent locations in and around the shrine.
The department also directed the authorities to prepare a traffic management plan well before the ceremony and share it with all relevant departments. Parking arrangements are to be made at a safe distance from Data Darbar, while abandoned vehicles in the vicinity of the shrine are to be removed immediately.
The Special Branch has been instructed to ensure timely and complete technical sweeping of the shrine and adjoining premises. Trained snipers will be deployed on rooftops surrounding the shrine to monitor the area, while designated personnel will remain present for intelligence sharing and coordination.
Only authorized individuals will be allowed access to the area reserved for the Ghusl ceremony. Walk-through gates will be installed at all entry points of the shrine, and all visitors will undergo thorough security screening.
The department further directed authorities to ensure round-the-clock monitoring of the shrine’s interior and exterior through CCTV cameras. Surveillance at all entry and exit points of Lahore will also be enhanced to prevent any suspicious person or vehicle from entering the city.
Plainclothes security personnel will be deployed to keep a close watch on miscreants, while a code of conduct will be devised for vendors and hawkers operating around the shrine.
The Home Department also ordered the deployment of fire brigade units, bomb disposal squads, Rescue 1122 ambulances and medical staff to respond to any emergency.
Continuous monitoring of langar and sabeel distribution points has been directed to prevent any adulteration or contamination of food and beverages. Teams of the Punjab Food Authority will also be deployed at these locations.
The use of loudspeakers will be allowed only at designated and authorized places. Authorities have also been instructed to ensure cleanliness in and around the shrine through dedicated sanitation teams and to seal all open manholes while maintaining an efficient drainage system.
The Home Department has issued the directives to the IGP, secretary Auqaf, CCPO Lahore, commissioner Lahore, director general Rescue 1122, DC Lahore, DIG Operations Lahore, director Punjab Civil Defence, SP Security Lahore and administrator Data Darbar for strict implementation.