QUETTA – The Balochistan government has completed all security arrangements for processions of 7th, 9th and 10th of Muharram-ul-Haram while more than 5,000 police personnel and 21 additional platoons of Frontier Corps (FC) will perform duty.
Balochistan Home Secretary Captain (retd) Akbar Durrani told journalists on Saturday that to meet any emergency situation, one battalion of army would be put on high alert. In addition to aerial surveillance of processions, FC personnel would also be deployed on the mountains of Quetta, he added.
He said that eight districts of Balochistan had been declared sensitive, adding all security arrangements had been completed and all routes of processions would be cleared with the help of snuffing dogs. “Three control rooms have been set up and close-circuit cameras have been installed at 28 locations, which will be monitored from the CCPO office,” he said. The home secretary said one control room each would be set up at the commissioner’s office and the home office and the tribal affairs department to monitor the situation of the entire Balochistan.
He said five additional FC platoons would be deployed in Loralai, five in Zhob, two in Jaffarabad 7, eight in Kachhi and three in Sibi. Similarly, he said, one brigade of army consisting of three battalions would be on high alert.
“The role of people is also very important in ensuring peace. If people cooperate with the law-enforcement agencies, there will be no issue of the law and order,” he held. He said that all organisations, political parties and religious scholars had made commitment that nobody would carry weapons in processions while the law-enforcement agencies would be responsible for the security of those attending these processions. He said violators would be dealt with in accordance with the law.
Responding to a question, he said the federal government was providing Balochistan with helicopters for aerial surveillance of the Muharram processions. However, Durrani said that if any decision of mobile phone service suspension was taken at the federal level, the Balochistan government would implement that in letter and spirit. He said special security cards would be issued to the security personnel deployed on procession routes which would start at 6am and end at 6pm.