GUJRANWALA/ELLAHABAD/SIALKOT/NOWSHERA VIRKAN/HAFIZABAD
The police and administrations of various districts of the Punjab province claimed to have made maximum security and administrative arrangements for the processions and Majalis being held on Muharram 10.
In Gujranwala, four suspicious people have been held during a joint raid of law-enforcement agencies and the police. The officials conducted a raid in Garjakh and arrested two unidentified suspects while the two others were identified as Shamsi Khan and Hikmat Khan who were arrested near Imambargah Jagna. All the four suspects were shifted to unknown place for investigation.
Meanwhile, 702 police officers along with 3,253 constables have been deployed for the security of 204 processions and 239 Majalis for 10th of Muharram. However, 146 soldiers in command of six senior and 10 junior army officers would also perform their duties at sensitive places. Besides, two army helicopters started flights to supervise the security arrangements. The police also held 24 members of banned organisations and jailed them for one month. Abdul Ghafoor, Hafiz Abaidullah, Hafiz Navid, Walayat, Rashid Khan, Shehbaz, Iftihar, Qari Zahid, Wajid, Javed, Anwar, Muhammad Asghar, Abdul Majid and Attiqur Rehman etc were included in the arrested people.
In Ellahabad, Majalis will be held at Kanganpur Road and Tulwandi areas where a large number of policemen would be deployed. The Ellahabad police told reporters that all the possible arrangements had been made to maintain law and order in Ellahabad and its surrounding areas especially in Tulwandi during Majalis and processions,
In Sialkot, the district police are implementing a “foolproof” security plan to ensure peace and promote religious harmony. Pillion riding remains banned to avert any untoward incident.
District Coordination Officer Iftikhar Ali said that the police have adopted “extraordinary” measures for protecting processions being taken at various places. In this connection, all the concerned quarters should also be directed to do their job with honesty, he demanded. He said that the police had been provided with modern sophisticated weapons to avert any untoward incident. The DCO revealed that hundreds of police personnel and members of law-enforcing sensitive agencies were patrolling in all the 45 sensitive areas in Sialkot district’s four Sialkot, Daska, Sambrial and Pasrur tehsils. They would remain deployed at Imambargahs and mosques to maintain law and order, he added. Likewise, the district coordination officer of Gujranwala paid a surprising visit to Nowshera Virkan to check the administrative and security arrangements. The DCO along with Assistant Commissioner Zegham Nawaz, Town Municipal Officer Munir Ahmed and a DSP inspected procession routes.
The DCO was told that arrangements regarding Muharram activities had been finalised. A comprehensive security plan has been made to provide security on Ashura, he added. The TMO briefed the meeting that closed-circuit television cameras have been installed at different points. The DCO appealed to religious scholars to promote brotherhood, harmony and peace through their sermons. He further said that Ulema can play a vital role to ensure peace in the society. Also in Hafizabad, precautionary measures have been taken by the administration and police to meet any eventuality on the eve of Yom-e-Ashur. Special pickets have been erected on all the entry points into Pindi Bhattian, Sukheke, Jalalpur Bhattian, Rasoolpur Tarar and Hafizabad to prevent entry of outlaws to ensure peace and tranquility.
The city has been virtually sealed by erecting barbed wires to prevent entry of any terrorist and walk-through gates have also been erected at the entry points of all the precessions. More than 900 policemen, national volunteers, Civil Defence and Rescue 1122 personnel and employees of TMAs have been deputed to keep a vigilant eye on outlaws.