Sectarianism to be rooted out, says CM

LAHORE
Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif presided over a high level meeting on Saturday to review in detail the implementation of security arrangements and law and order in the province for Muharram-ul-Haram.
Addressing the meeting, Shahbaz Sharif said that an all-out effort should be made for ensuring law and order, brotherhood and religious harmony during the holy month and all-out resources had been provided for the purpose. He said the implementation of security plan evolved for the protection of life and property of the people should be ensured.
According to a handout, the chief minister asked the Cabinet Committee on Law and Order to review the security plan and arrangements throughout the province regularly and implementation of code of conduct be ensured at all costs. He said the country was passing through a critical juncture of the history and facing terrorism and extremism and other problems. He said the enemy was bent upon to harm the country’s solidarity, but its nefarious designs would be foiled with the power of unity of the nation.
Shahbaz Sharif said that nothing could be more important than the establishment of law and order that is why full attention had been paid to it. He said that Islam teaches us patience and tolerance. He stressed the need for promoting religious harmony in the present situation. He said that Pakistan was all of us therefore we would have to be united on one platform by forgetting all our differences. The chief minister said the menace of sectarianism would be eliminated forever through national solidarity. He said we all had to play a positive role in ensuring peace, brotherhood and religious harmony. He said we had to foil the nefarious designs of the enemy by maintaining tolerance and brotherhood.
Shahbaz Sharif said the maintenance of law and order was the top priority and more security arrangements had been taken than previous years. He said the present situation demanded emergent and foolproof arrangements therefore all departments concerned should be ready and should utilise all their energies for ensuring peace.
The chief minister said that complete implementation of the security plan evolved for the protection of Majalis and processions should be ensured. He said that additional police force should be deployed at mosques, Imam Bargahs and other worship places. He directed that the law banning provocative material and literature should be implemented strictly and action should be taken against the violators as per law. Similarly, the law of ban on displaying arms should be implemented effectively, he added.
Shahbaz Sharif said that indiscriminate action should be taken against those violating wall-chalking and delivering provocative speeches. He said the observance of timings and routes of processions should be ensured at every cost. He said the institutions concerned should work in a coordinated manner. He said the alternate arrangements of communication were very vital for contact between the administration and law enforcement agencies. The chief minister said that senior police officers should remain with the processions and ensure complete cleanliness of the routes. The chief minister said that proper arrangement for meal and tea should be made for police officials performing duties during Moharram-ul-Haram. He said the prescribed code of conduct should be implemented strictly. He warned that violation of code of conduct would not be tolerated at any cost. He directed that law enforcement agencies should keep a close liaison and the report of moment to moment regarding law and order should be obtained all over the province in the central control room. He said all the necessary equipments and machinery should be functional at every cost.
Shahbaz Sharif said the provincial ministers and elected representatives should visit districts assigned to them and review the security arrangements. He said the security arrangements should be continuously monitored. The chief minister directed the constitution of the subcommittees which would review the implementation of security arrangements and submit a report. He said the members of the peace committees at provincial, divisional, district and tehsil level should perform their duties efficiently. He said the Ulema and Mashaikh should teach the lesson of brotherhood, mutual harmony and tolerance in their sermons as this was high time of unity.
The secretary home gave a briefing about the steps taken for implementation of security plan evolved for maintenance for law and order during Moharram-ul-Haram. Provincial Minister for Law Rana Sanaullah, Spokesman Punjab Government Zaeem Hussain Qadri, Special Assistant Rana Maqbool Ahmad, Inspector General Police, Secretary Home, Secretary Information and officials of law enforcement agencies attended the meeting.