Besides, 2,000 volunteers along with commandos of Elite Force, Dolphin Force, personnel of other law enforcement agencies including Special Branch of Punjab Police and ladies police would assist the cops of Rawalpindi police to maintain law and order during Muharram.
Police, following orders of City Police Officer Syed Shehzad Nadim Bukhari, are ready to shield 447 processions and 1,925 majalis to be held in the district, he said adding that extra police force has also been deployed to provide foolproof security to some 40 processions declared to be sensitive.
“All the senior police officers including CPO Syed Shehzad Nadim Bukhari, SSP Operations Wasim Riaz Khan, SSP Investigation Syed Ghazanafar Ali Shah, divisional SPs Rana Abdul Wahab, Babar Javed Joya and Ahmed Zunair Cheema and SP Security Faisal Salim are monitoring the security duty of cops deployed to protect the mourners,” he said.
According to CPO Syed Shehzad Nadim Bukhari, all arrangements for the security of 7th Muharram procession have been finalised. Strict monitoring of the procession would be conducted as CCTV Cameras have been installed at the route of processions as well as other processions till Youm-e-Ashur, he said adding that the mourners would only be allowed to join the processions from different entry points. Quick Response Force would also be deployed for the protection of the mourners. Special contingents of commandos and police officials will be deployed on sensitive points. Walk-through gates will be installed for main mourning procession, he said adding that the police officials will use metal detectors along with the private guards of the Imambargahs and mourning procession managements. Every participant of the processions will be checked properly, said Syed Shehzad Nadim Bukhari, the city police chief. He was of the view that according to the security plan formulated in this regard, aerial surveillance of 7th and Ashura processions would be conducted. Special drone cameras would also be used to monitor the main procession. Special checking of the route of the 7th Muharram procession would be completed before start of the procession and bomb disposal squad will clear the route. The route of the main procession would be sealed completely.
The 7th Muharram procession will be taken out on Sunday from Sadiqabad area and after passing through its traditional route will culminate at Imambargah Qadeemi.
He said police check posts have been established at all entry and exit points of the district while Muhafiz Squad and Elite Force patrolling has also been enhanced in different areas to avert any untoward incident.
Likewise, City Traffic Police have devised a traffic plan for the biggest mourning processions of the city, he mentioned. As many as 1,000 wardens and officers would be on duty to ease traffic flow and to facilitate the mourners.
On the other hand, CPO also chaired a high-level meeting in Police Lines Headquarters to review the security arrangements made by police to maintain law and order during Muharram. The meeting was also attended by the ulemas and zakreens.
CPO along with DC Rawalpindi Tahir Farooq also visited Jamia Mosque at Lal Kurti. The ulemas received the police high-ups and the officers of district administration.
A search operation was also carried out in the areas of police station Civil Lines to flush out the anti-social elements and the suspects. During the search operation in Dheri Hassanabad, the police along with Army troops checked scores of houses, shops and collected data of the tenants and other residents.