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).