Muharram security plan for three districts finalised by East Range DIG

Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Amir Farooqi of East Range has finalised the security plan for the upcoming 8th, 9th and 10th Muharram processions.

Talking to The News on Wednesday, DIG Farooqi said that before finalising the security plan for Muharram, he held a meeting with his subordinates, including intelligence officers of the Sindh Police, and sought a detailed report from them of their respective jurisdictions.

Moreover, he had also directed them to conduct surveys of their areas as East Range consists of three districts, i.e. East, Korangi and Malir districts, and there were areas which were sensitive.

He added that during the survey they had also marked Shia community-dominated areas situated in East Range, and of them a few were Soldier Bazaar and its surrounding areas, Baltistani Mohallah, Hussain Hazara Goth and Mughal Hazara Goth situated in District East.

The areas that lie in District Korangi are Shah Faisal Colony, Awami Colony and 100 Quarters Zaman Town, while in District Malir these areas are Abbas Town, Jaffar Tayyar and New Rizvia Society.

After the survey and marking, the police made a sequence for the Muharram Security Plan, which are a pre-Muharram Plan for these areas, a summary of Majalis and processions, a list of sensitive processions, the central procession of 10th Muharram, a deployment plan, history of violence and a Code of Conduct.

Pre-Muharram planDIG Amir Farooqi said that coordination meetings with Shia community’s representatives, civic departments and LEAs, including the Rangers, training of scouts, removal of objectionable wall-chalking, formation of peace committees, a survey of important routes and combing operations in sensitive areas, including guest houses and musafir khanas, monitoring of 4TH Schedule persons, a security survey and an audit of sensitive Imambargahs, vetting of credentials of police manpower, trimming of trees and installation and repairs of CCTVs along the routes.

Majalis and processionsThe DIG stated that they had also compiled a list of Majalis arranged by the Shia community and sermons organised by the Sunni community during these days.

He added that there were about 3,000 Majalis that took place in East Range in which 467 spots were most sensitive, 2,011 were sensitive while 589 were normal. Moreover, 58 spots were marked where Sunni Scholars gave sermons and there were about nine spots which were most sensitive, 19 were sensitive while 30 were normal.

Moreover, he said, about 365 processions were taken out during the month of Muharram by the Shia community in which 45 were declared as most sensitive, 290 were sensitive and 30 were normal. The Sunni community also took out 194 processions, and 92 were sensitive and 102 were normal.

DIG Farooqi said they had also adopted extra security measures for 9th Muharram and there would be a procession from West Range and the route is Teen Hatti , Jahangir Road Shah-e-Najaf, Imambargah, Jamshed Road, Guru Mandir, Bahadur Yaar Jung Road to Nishter Park, before it merges with the main procession on 9th Muharram.

10th Muharram processionThe main procession’s route is: Nishtar Park, Shahnawaz Bhutto Road, Father James Road, Major Bookland Road, Aza Khana Zohra, Karachi X-Ray, Nawa-e-Waqt, New MA Jinnah Road, VIP Gate Mazar-e-Quaid, Peoples Chowrangi, Preedy Street, (South Zone) from Parking Plaza, Saddar Dawakhana, again MA Jinnah Road, Rampet Roy Road, Bombay Bazaar, Baghdadi Crossing, Nawab Mohabbat Khanjee Road to Anjuman Hussanian Iranian Hall.

History violenceDIG Amir Farooqi recalled that in 2014 there was firing at a bus of mourners going to participate in Youm-ul-Quds Rally near Shaheed-e-Millat flyover Umar Colony’s side (PS Tipu Sultan), and on December 24, 2013 on the day of Chehlum of Hazrat Imam Hussain, a blast occurred in a three-foot vacuum pole located on the footpath in front of Jinnah Complex on MA Jinnah Road. However, no casualties happened.

In 2012, when the Youm-ul-Quds Rally reached near Safari Park, an IED blast took place which resulted in loss of life and injury. Two bomb blasts in District West on 8th and 9th of Muharram occurred in 2012.

A bomb blast targeted a police mobile near Malir Halt in 2011 on Youm-e-Ashure, a firing incident left two scouts dead during a rally of a banned organisation at Numaish Chowrangi on 1st Muharram in 2011 and a bomb blast occurred at Nursery overhead bridge pm Sharea Faisal in 2010 on the Chehlum of Hazrat Imam Hussain.

Keeping in view the history of violence, DIG Amir Farooqi said, they had adopted extra security measures with a deployment of 10,000 personnel, who included 6,600 constables, 506 female personnel and other rank officials. Moreover, he added, they still had a shortfall of 2,700 personnel as the cops available for duty was 7,229 and they had requested for more personnel to perform Muharram duty.