Daily Times

HYDERABAD: Hyderabad Division Commissioner Abdul Waheed Shaikh on Saturday issued directives to all deputy commissioners and senior superintendents of police (SSPs) to strictly comply with the Sindh Home Department’s code of ethics in order to maintain religious harmony, law and order in Hyderabad during the Islamic month of Muharram.

Reportedly, he presided over a high-level meeting with officers including Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Sultan Khwaja, Rangers Brigadier Tariq, deputy commissioners, SSPs and other concerned officials at Shahbaz Hall to review security arrangements for Muharram processions.

He directed them to obtain prior information of all Azadari gatherings and mourning processions in order to implement effective security measures.

He further asked them to constitute peace committees at Taluka and district level, and enforce a complete ban on exhibition of weapons, provocative wall chalking and hate speeches.

Commissioner ordered them to prepare contingency plans and establish control rooms to vigilantly act on any untoward incident and effective monitoring, respectively.

He said that Rangers personnel would perform duties along with police officers for providing security to Majalis and processions while CCTV cameras, walk-through gates, drone cameras and other measures would be used to monitor security situation.

Later, Commissioner asked districts officers to improve sanitation system, lift heaps of garbage, supply power without interruption using stand-by generators and ensure other basic facilities during processions.

Furthermore, he asked heath officers to issue high alerts to all hospitals and ensure provision of ambulance services, medicines, and doctors at mourning processions.

He ordered HESCO and Sui gas officers to ensure supply of electricity and gas without interruption.

Published in Daily Times, September 9^th 2018.