Ashura remains peaceful in City

LAHORE
Ashura, 10th of Muharram, was observed with traditional religious solemnity and devotion on Saturday, amidst strict security measures like ban on mobile phones, pillion riding etc, to commemorate the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) and his companions at Karbala in 61AH, some 14 centuries ago.
In Lahore, the authorities clamped what could be called as historic security arrangements to ward off any terror threat and maintain safety and peace amidst intelligence reports of possible terrorist strikes in view of the ongoing wave of terrorism. Luckily, the central Zuljinah procession and others remained peaceful in Lahore despite some fears that gripped the mourners and administrations due to terror threats in some major cities like Rawalpindi, Multan, Gujranwala, Karachi, Quetta, Peshawar and other parts of the country.
The suspension of mobile phone service is now becoming a regular security measure for the last couple of years besides other security arrangements, as the PML-N government followed PPP Interior Minister Rehman Malik in taking this controversial measure. Though it caused problems for the masses in general and the participants of the procession in particular, yet the leaders of Fiqa Jaferia community appreciated it, hoping that it would go well to keep the community safe during its biggest religious activity of the year. This year, the mobile phone service was not blanket suspended but it was done on specific locations and areas from where mourning processions were to pass or those areas declared sensitive.
The district administration managed security by taking some new measures, the most effective of them was closing down both sides of the procession route and only allowing the mourners to enter after having their ID cards checked. Nobody was allowed to join the procession without which everyone was refused entry.
These measures were in addition to the traditional security arrangements, including army helicopters kept monitoring the procession while the special police squad moved ahead of the procession, kept checking and clearing the route before allowing it to proceed further. This procedure delayed the procession for about three to four hours behind the time initially scheduled for it to reach its destination, Karbala Gamay Shah.
Various Zuljinah, Alam and Tazia processions were taken out from different parts of the city which marched from their traditional routes before joining the central Zuljinah procession. All markets and businesses were closed while press issued special supplements and electronic media aired special programmes to mark the significance of the event.
In their tough security measures, the authorities deployed over 20,000 personnel belonging to different branches of law enforcing agencies, including Rangers and FC to monitor and guard all the sensitive areas particularly the routes of the Zuljinah procession.
Policemen were deployed all along the route of main Zuljinah procession and were also taking positions at the rooftops of the building along both sides to monitor the procession. Police had closed the route of the main Zuljinah procession from both sides with barbed wires and subjected everybody to thorough body search with metal detectors before allowing in to join the procession.
Besides, special gates for scanning explosives and weapons were also placed at different entry points. Apart from that Army and police helicopters kept taking rounds of the city skies to monitor the situation. Rangers vehicles kept patrolling the city streets. The residents of the buildings along the route were barred from opening their windows and coming to roofs but women and children were allowed to watch the procession from windows.Large number of chest beating and elegy reciting mourners participated in the procession and they also held self-flagellation with chained knives at several points on the route. The town administrations of Data Town put up extra lights along the route which not only brightened the area but also provided a sense of security to the participants, particularly in the night, as the light would enable people to identify any miscreant besides helping security personnel in maintaining law and order.
After the culmination of the procession, Majlis-e-Sham-e-Ghariban was held inside Karbala Gamay Shah in which Zakerin highlighted the importance of the sacrifice by Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS).