Rawalpindi : A ‘maatmi’ procession was taken out from Imambargah Shah Piyara on the 11th of Muharram on Wednesday which ended peacefully. Around 2,000 security officials performed duties around Imambargah Shah Piyara to avoid any untoward incident on the occasion.
Earlier on Wednesday, ‘Youm-e-Ashur’ was observed peacefully while ‘Tazia’, ‘alam’ and ‘zuljinah’ processions were taken out from different parts of the city amid tight security arrangements.
On the 10th of Muharram, a number of ‘zuljinah’ processions taken out in the city passed through their traditional routes and culminated at Qadeemi Imambargah peacefully. The main processions were taken out from Imambargah Ashiq Hussain and Imambargah Colonel Maqbool which passed through their traditional routes including Fawara Chowk, Banni Chowk, Bagh Sardaran, Jamia Masjid Road, Purana Qila, Sarafa Bazaar, Raja Bazaar, China Market and finally culminated at the Qadeemi Imambargah. All roads on routes of the mourning processions remained closed for traffic.
The Deputy Commissioner (DC), Rawalpindi, and City Police Officer (CPO) visited all procession routes to monitor security arrangements. They also checked registered and unregistered ‘sabeels’ and ‘langers’ on traditional routes.
The higher authorities deployed extra force at sensitive areas of Fawara Chowk, Barra Market, Bohar Bazaar, Raja Bazaar, Banni Chowk, and near Lal Haveli. More than 6,000 security personnel monitored ‘Ashura’ processions. Around 200 CCTV cameras installed at traditional routes helped police monitor the situation at the control room of the Municipal Corporation Rawalpindi (MCR).
The mourning processions from Dhoke Syedan, Tench Bhata, Dhoke Mangtal, Dhoke Ratta, Kamalabad, Groti, Gora Syedan, Jhangi Syedan, Shah Chan Chiragh, Misrial, Shah Piyara near Chur, Lalkurti, Adiala Road, Sadiqabad, Muslim Town, Girja Road, Drek Moori, Rawat, Sihala, Khanna Dak, Talhi Mohri, Sher Zaman Colony, Golra Sharif, Gorakhpur, Rajwal, Humak, Chaklala Scheme-III, Shah Khalid Colony, Raheemabad, Nadeem Colony, Dhamial Camp, Chakri, Kalyaal, Dhaman Syedan, and many other localities joined the main processions at Colonel Maqbool Imambargah and Ashiq Hussain Imambargah. The participants later marched towards the Qadeemi Imambargah where they reached at around 8 p.m. where ‘Sham-e-Ghareeban’ began and continued till late at night. The ‘zakireen’ shed light on the life, teachings, and sacrifices of Imam Hussain (AS) and companions of Karbala.
Religious scholars delivered detailed sermons at Imambargahs before the start of mourning processions where homage was paid to Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS) and his companions who fought valiantly in Karbala and laid down their lives for the supremacy of Islam.
Thousands of participants performed ‘zanjir zani’ along routes of mourning processions and ‘nohas’ and ‘marsias’ were recited on the occasion. Several devotees had set up ‘sabeels’ and ‘langars’ on the routes of these processions throughout the city. The devotees arranged water and milk ‘sabeels’ but some of them provided tea and ‘qehwa’ as well.
Several ambulances of welfare organisations and doctors remained present during mourning processions to provide medical treatment to the injured.