Daily Times

LAHORE: As many as 76,578 police officers and private guards have been assigned to remain on their toes, particularly during Iftaar and Sehar, to maintain security of 32,386 mosques, 2,666 imambargahs, taraveeh places, important markets, business centres, official buildings and all important offices during Ramadan.

Punjab Inspector General of Police Mushtaq Ahmad Sukhera stated this during the regional police officers (RPOs) conference through video link at the Central Police Office on Friday. Senior police officers were also present in the meeting. The Ramadan security plan was finalised according to the demands of the field officers. The DPOs would decide the number of deployment around the mosques and imambargahs as per the evaluated categories i.e. A, B and C of all worship places.

The IG was briefed that this security deployment would include 3,837 officers from SP to ASI rank, 21,589 head constables and constables, 8,557 private security guards and 42,595 volunteers.

At least 1,115 walkthrough gates and 13,728 metal detectors have been provided to the districts and would be installed at the entrances of the mosques/imambargahs for checking purposes. The conference also decided that the search and sweep operations besides snap checking of the vehicles at all entry and exit points of the cities would be continued until Eidul Fitr.

The conference also decided to impose ban on setting up pickets, saying that it could only be installed temporarily on the basis of intelligence information and would be removed immediately after completion of the task.

The conference decided to take strict action against the banks’ administrations on violating the security SOP issued to them by the police department. Decisions regarding completion of pending welfare cases of the police officials’ widows and their children by the end of this week, and security of the citizens along with their vehicles in Ramadan bazaars were also made during the meeting.

The IG also directed the field officers to personally monitor the security arrangements during the holy month so that a peaceful and protected environment could be ensured for the people.