MULTAN: In view of the upcoming month of Moharram, the security of the entire district was put on red alert to provide complete protection to the mourning and flagellation processions. The district administration formulated a comprehensive security plan for the maintenance of peace and ensurance of inter-faith harmony during the month of Moharram. This was stated by the Deputy Commissioner (DC) Multan, Mudassir Riyaz Malik while addressing the District Peace Committee at the Circuit House. The City Police Officer (CPO) Muneer Masood, Additional Deputy Commissioner General Kareem Bakhsh, religious scholars of various sects and members of Hindu and Christian communities participated in the meeting.
While addressing the meeting, the DC urged the religious scholars and members of different sects to help the district government in maintaining peace and harmony through the platform of peace committee. He said that a complete ban would be imposed on the hate-speech, wall chalking and distribution of hateful material and no one would be allowed to disrupt the peace process. He also urged the Shia and Sunni scholars to avoid provocative speeches that might spark violence and hatred among the various sects.
The DC told the participants that all the arrangements were made for fixing streetlights and removal of encroachments. All the matters related to the cleanliness and sewerage would be resolved on priority basis, he added.
The religious scholars from various sects who attended the meeting included Syed Mohammad Ali Gardezi, Farooq Khan Saeedi, Qari Abdul Ghaffar Naqshbandi, Bilal Attari and Maulana Abdul Haq. They assured cooperation to the district government for the promotion of peace, harmony and brotherhood from the pulpits of mosques and Imambargahs through their sermons. The district government also directed the citizens to cooperate with police and security personnel during the Moharran processions.
The members of Hindu and Sikh communities would also cooperate with the district government for maintenance of peace and taking care of the mourners. The Chairman All Pakistan Minority Movement (APMM), Bishop Ashir Kamran, said that the Christian brethren would set up stalls of water and juices (Sabeel) and other edibles along the procession routes and outside Imambargahs to quench the thirst of the mourners. He said that Moharram was the most appropriate occasion for the display of inter-religious harmony.
The CPO, while briefing the audience, told that over 5000 security personnel would be deployed on all the exit and entry points to provide peaceful environment to the mourners. He said that all the processions and religious gatherings (Majalis) would be monitored with the help of CCTV cameras. A control room would be set up in this regard, he added. The CPO further briefed that in total 487 mourning processions and 1500 religious gatherings would take place in Multan and security of 104 sensitive processions was put on red alert.
Published in Daily Times, September 1st 2018.