Arrangements for 3,958 majalis, 714 processions finalised

Rawalpindi:The administration on the directives of Commissioner Rawalpindi Division, Engineer Aamir Khattak has finalized all the arrangements including security for 3,958 Majalis and 714 processions of Rawalpindi Division.

According to a Commissioner Office spokesman, six companies of Army, Rangers and extra police would remain on duty till Ashura to deal with any emergency situation. He informed that close circuit TV (CCTV) cameras had been installed for full monitoring of category A processions.

He said that a delegation of the Punjab Cabinet Committee on Law and Order, during a briefing was informed that three-tier security had been laid out to protect processions, including metal detectors, walk-through gates and physical checking.

The delegation of the cabinet committee, headed by Cabinet Committee Chairman and Punjab Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique, reviewed all the arrangements.

Khawaja Salman Rafiq directed the authorities concerned that a zero-tolerance policy should be adopted towards any violation of the code of conduct of Muharram, adding that the scheduled time and route of the procession should be followed strictly.

He said on the instructions of Punjab Chief Minister Punjab, Maryam Nawaz, the government was making arrangements for Sabeels, Niaz and Langar. Apart from foolproof security arrangements, peace committees were mobilised for interfaith harmony, he added.

The health authorities had been directed that best possible arrangements should be made to deal with any emergency.

He informed that apart from monitoring loudspeakers and social media, audio and video recordings of Majalis and processions were being compiled. The cabinet committee urged members of the peace committee to resolve mutual disputes together so that no one got a chance to disturb peace.

Commissioner Rawalpindi Division, Aamir Khattak said that the arrangements for 3,958 Majalis and 714 processions had been completed in Rawalpindi Division, and orders were issued to ban the entry of 227 firebrand speakers.

As many as 133 people were included in the fourth schedule in Rawalpindi. He said, the procession routes were cleaned, patchwork and road repair work were carried out and hanging electric wires were fixed.

Apart from this, he said coordination with scholars of all schools of thought had also been ensured, adding that arrangements had been finalised by conducting division-wise tours. He further said that all scholars had been informed that neither any hate speech would be given nor firebrand speakers would be invited to avoid any untoward incident.

Regional Police Officer, Rawalpindi Region, Babar Sarfraz Alpa said that foolproof security arrangements had been made to ensure law and order. The spokesman further informed that the delegation of the cabinet committee also visited the route of the Ashura procession and inspected the Safe City Centre. The RPO gave a briefing to the cabinet committee and informed that a total of 1,600 cameras of the Safe City had been installed.