PESHAWAR - The ‘Alm and Zuljinnah’ mourning processions of the 9th Muharram were peacefully concluded in all districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including Peshawar amid tight security arrangements by police and law enforcement agencies on Tuesday. In Peshawar, the main ‘Alm and Zuljinah’ procession appeared in the morning from Imambargah Hussainia Hall on main Saddar Road in Cantt area amid flagellation and chest beating passed through the prescribed routes comprising Saddar Road, Kalibari and Fawwara Chowk, where the organisers arranged water, milk and drinks for the Azadars.
Similarly, many other processions of 9th Muharram were also taken out from several Imambargahs including Bibi Zekri in city area and concluded at the originating points peacefully.
The Shia community’s religious scholars paid glowing tributes to the matchless sacrifices offered by Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) and his fellows in the scorching heat of Karbala for the supremacy of Islam. They delivered special sermons on the importance of 9th Muharram, Ashura Moharram and supreme sacrifices offered by Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) along with his family and other martyrs of Karbala for the supremacy of Islam. They said the matchless sacrifices of the martyrs of Karbala were great source of strength and inspiration for all Muslim Ummah.
After offering Zuhrain prayer, the procession culminated back at the Imambargah Hussainia Hall, Peshawar Cantonment. On the occasion, the 1122 Rescue service had set up a medical camp to provide timely treatment to the mourners in case of any emergency. Amid security threats police blocked all the entry points to Saddar Raod and routes to interior city to facilitate the mourners and avert any untoward incident. The participants were allowed to pass on only after body search by the police, law enforcers and volunteers of the Shia community.
Walkthrough gates were also installed for screening of the participants and surveillance of processions was carried out through video-recording and CCTV cameras fixed for the purpose. Besides deployment of policemen and sniper shooters, the personnel of Bomb Disposal Unit (BDU) remained on high alert and carried out security check of the routes through equipment. Mobile services remained suspended in Peshawar Cantt and City area to keep the law and order situation under control. The Peshawar Cantonment’s Saddar Bazaar and interior city areas were virtually sealed and no vehicle was allowed to enter the areas designated for mourning processions.
In Haripur, which had been declared the most sensitive district for Muharram, the mourning processions concluded peacefully at the designated points. The main procession of 9th Muharram was taken out from Imambargah Imamia Sajjadia Mohallah Motian in Haripur and ended at Imambargah Qadeemia Mohalla Chowki Police. The mourners from different parts of the district participated. The route had been cordoned off by the personnel of police and elite force besides law enforcers where participants passed through special security mechanism.
In Kohat, the mourners’ processions concluded peacefully where clerics paid rich tributes to sacrifices of martyrs of Karbala and urged the Muslim Ummah to follow the footprints of the martyrs. In Lakki Marwat, the 9th Muharram procession ended peacefully in Mohallah Sayyedan in the city. The procession taken out from Imambargah Kashana Bukhari was culminated at the starting point after passing through traditional route.
In Parachinar of Kurram district, the main mourning procession was taken out from Central Imambargah and passed through prescribed routes before culminated at the said place. In Mansehra, DI Khan, Nowshera and other districts, the 9th Moharram processions were peacefully concluded after passing through prescribed routes amid flagellation and chest beating. The religious scholars paid glowing tributes to the matchless sacrifices offered by Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) and his fellows in the scorching heat of Karbala for supremacy of Islam.
