Sindh Rangers, police finalise Muharram security plan

KARACHI: The Sindh Rangers and police have jointly finalized arrangements for maintaining law and order during the month of Muharram across the province, a statement said on Tuesday.
Director-General of Sindh Rangers, Major-General Bilal Akbar, held a security meeting for Muharram at the Rangers Headquarters.
The meeting was attended by Additional IG of Karachi, Mushtaq Mehar, Karachi Range DIGs, officials from the Special Branch, the KMC and K-Electric and the joint director-general of Intelligence Bureau, Karachi.
In this regard, a state of high alert has been declared, and the Rangers and police have launched snap-checking in all major cities of the province.
According to the plan, heavy contingents of Rangers will be deployed for the surveillance of all central processions of Muharram. Aerial surveillance of the processions will also be carried out through helicopters.
To counter any untoward situation during Muharram, the Karachi Police and the Sindh Rangers discussed security measures.
Moreover, the statement said, the DG Rangers put the paramilitary troops on high alert.
District West is said to be the most vulnerable district of Karachi where the presence of banned outfits has been detected. In this regard, District West Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ghulam Azfar Mahesar held a meeting with his subordinates and discussed the law and order situation with them.
SSP Mahesar, talking to The News, said there was a severe threat during Muharram and some reports regarding terrorist activity in that month were also received by his office.
Keeping in view such threats, he held a meeting with his subordinates, including the divisional superintendents of police, sub-divisional police officers and station house officers.
The officials were directed to follow the duty plan during the holy month and hold meetings with stakeholders in their respective jurisdictions to assure them of providing full security. Moreover, the leaves of officials deployed in District West were cancelled and a ban was placed on transfers and postings till the end of Muharram.
The SSP added that the procession routes were 100 percent sealed to avert any attack and they would be fully monitored by CCTV cameras. The deployment of police commandos would be mandatory at buildings along which the main procession of Muharram passed, he said.
SSP Mahesar said he had also requested the departmental head to write a letter to the Sindh Home Department to provide troops from the Pakistan Army and Rangers for the Muharram procession days and also provide commandos from the Rapid Response Force.
He said he had also planned a meeting with the district coordination officers (DCOs), representatives from the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), K-Electric and Rangers officials to discuss the security situation and threats.
He added that to avert an attack on religious scholars, they had planned to provide them with full security by picking and dropping them at their residences. Security at mosques in District West had also been upgraded.
In order to review and coordinate the security arrangements on the eve of Muharram, a meeting was also held under the supervision of divisional SPs in the presence of ACs Orangi and Manghopir and essential services with permit holders, non-permit holders and organizers.
The SPs briefed the participants about the importance of the holy month of Muharram and emphasized the need for the installation of CCTV cameras in and around the Imambargahs. Generally, the participants complained against K-Electric and sanitation staff. They demanded an uninterrupted supply of electricity during Muharram, especially during Majalis and night processions.
The AC Manghopir stated that they would ensure it and in this regard, a control room has been established in the DC West office. He also stated that they would ensure cleanliness at garbage dumps to prevent them from being used for any terror activity.