SIALKOT/HAFIZABAD - Eidul Azha is being celebrated with religious zeal, enthusiasm and fervency here today.
Eid prayers would be offered at Eidgahs, mosques and open places amid tight security. Ulema and Khateebs, in their Eid sermons, will highlight the significance and philosophy of sacrifice. The special prayers will also be offered for unity, solidarity and progress of Pakistan, well-being of the Muslim Ummah and emancipation of the oppressed Muslims across the world. After the Eid prayers, camels, cows, goats and sheep would be sacrificed.
In Sialkot, Daska, Bhopalwala, Sambrial, Uggoki, Satrah, Pasrur, Badiana, Chawinda and its surrounding areas, the police and other intelligence agencies have been put on alert while the police have chalked out a foolproof security plan for Eidul Azha to avert any untoward incident on the occasion.
The district police officer said that the policemen and personnel of other law enforcing agencies were keeping 24-hours vigilant eyes on the dubious persons.
He added that the security has been further tightened at all the mosques, Eidgahs, Deeni Madrassaas and other scared and public places in Sialkot district under its foolproof security plan on the eve of Eidul Azha.
Meanwhile, the Sialkot Waste Management Company (SWMC) launched a campaign for cleanliness of the Sialkot city especially during the Eid days.
The SXMC staff and officials continued airing the special songs in different moving vehicles carrying loudspeakers on all the main city roads. These songs were sung by local singers, under its musical campaign "Keep Sialkot Clean", asking the people not to throw garbage and sacrificial animals' tummies on the roads rather dump them on the fixed trash spots from where the SWMC workers could lift them.
The songs were motivating the people to "Keep Sialkot Clean", especially during the Eid days, said the officials of the SWMC here.
Likewise, the Hafizabad police finalised all security arrangements to protect 987 congregations of Eidul Azha in the district. More than 400 cops and 100 Razakaars have been deployed at masques, eidgahs and other prayer places on Eid day. Four teams of elite force are alert as quick response force in case of any emergency. Special pickets have been set up at all entry and exit points of the district including motorway interchanges Pindi Bhattian, Kot Sarwar and Khankha Dogran. Search operations are underway in surroundings of sanative places, masques and Eidghahs, he said.
Police also provided security at all cattle markets set up in the district for selling and purchasing sacrificial animals. Monitoring of suspected people was also being made with the collaboration of law enforcement agencies in the district also. Special measures are also being taken to prevent one wheeling on the eve of Eid and protection of recreational parks in the district.
Deputy Commissioner Allah Ditta said that doing a wheelie is very dangerous which causes fatal accidents which cause passing of precious lives. The Punjab government is not only taking legal action against doers but the government has also constituted Special Task Force at district level to overcome the trend of wheelie among the youth. He said that taskforce would create awareness among youth about deadly act of wheelie and carelessness while driving.
The District Taskforce would consist of DSP Traffic (Convener), representative of Secretary RTA, representative of Rescue 1122 Asif Raza, Motor Vehicle Examiner Tahir Khan, Deputy Director Information Syed Iftikhar Ali Shah members.