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Tuesday March 19, 2024

Mourners remember lessons of patience and sacrifice on 9th Muharram

By Our Correspondent
September 21, 2018

To commemorate the sacrifices rendered by Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA), his family and companions, the central procession of 9th Muharramul Haram passed peacefully in Karachi on Thursday amid strict security measures despite serious threats of terrorism.

Since morning thousands of mourners across the city paid their respects to Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) and his companions for their sacrifices in the battlefield of Karbala over 1,400 years ago.

In small to medium-sized groups, they started converging on Nishtar Park to attend the Majlis and join the main procession that started moving according to its schedule at 11am in a most organised manner, with scouts and representatives of different communities escorting the procession.

At Nishtar Park, noted scholar Maulana Shahenshah Hussain Naqvi addressed the participants of the main procession and discussed the importance of the holy month of Muharram. Maulana Naqvi said the sacrifices of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) for the religion of Islam are unique and give us a lesson of patience, sacrifices and tolerance.

In his sermon the scholar threw light on the philosophy of martyrdom and said Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA), through his and his family members’ martyrdom, gave such a unique lesson of patience and sacrifice that cannot be forgotten until the day of judgement. “We all must learn lessons from the sacrifices of Imam Hussain (RA) and practise them in our daily lives.”

Thereafter, the participants offered the Zuhrain prayers at Imambargah Ali Raza near the Numaish roundabout. The Imamia Students Organisation held a protest after the Zuhrain prayers at Numaish and shouted slogans against the US and Israel.

A large number of families and relatives of missing persons belonging to the Shia community also staged a sit-in on MA Jinnah Road during the central procession of 9th Muharram, demanding that the chief justice of Pakistan and the army chief play their role in the recovery of their loved ones.

The central mourning procession had started from the Nishtar Park. It passed through its traditional route — Mehfil-e-Shah-e-Khurasan, Saddar, Preedy Street, Baba-e-Urdu Road and MA Jinnah Road — and culminated at Hussainian Iranian Imambargah in Kharadar by late evening.

Extraordinary security measures were in place with mobile phone services suspended for around 14 hours and a ban on pillion riding, with heavy deployment of personnel belonging to the law enforcement and security agencies, including the Sindh Rangers and the Karachi police.

The roads leading to Karachi’s main traffic artery MA Jinnah Road were closed by the police with containers for the security of the processions. Heavy contingents of the police and Rangers were deployed to protect the main procession. Surveillance was conducted using CCTV cameras.

All shops in Saddar and along the route of the procession were already sealed by the authorities. All high-rises located on the route of the main procession were manned by police officials, including snipers on the rooftops keeping strict vigil so as to avert any untoward incident.

Walkthrough gates were set up at the entrance of the Nishtar Park as well as the entry points of the main procession, and physical checking of the participants was also ensured.

Scouts organisations, rescue services and the city administration had made special arrangements to facilitate the participants of the procession. Stalls of water and soft drinks were also set up for the mourners along the procession route.

The health department and the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation had declared an emergency at all the public hospitals of the metropolis. Over 6,150 police officers and personnel were deployed for the main procession’s security.

Moreover, 19,519 police officials were deployed for the 346 Imambargahs, 567 Majalis and 279 other processions across the city. Earlier in the day, Sindh police chief IGP Dr Syed Kaleem Imam reviewed the security arrangements for 9th Muharram. He visited the command and control centre and later inspected the route of the main procession.

The IGP was briefed about the security steps that included the deployment of sharpshooters on rooftops along the route of the mourning procession along with commandos. Traffic DIG Ahmed Ishaq Jahangir also visited the main procession route from Nishtar Park to Kharadar, as well as checked the strength of the traffic police. He also reviewed the traffic arrangements. He was also briefed by the traffic police officials about the arrangements made by his department.

Meanwhile, the Sindh Home Department has announced that there is going to be a citywide shutdown of mobile phone services on Friday (today) due to 10th Muharram.

A handout issued by the government on Thursday evening quoted Home Secretary Abdul Kabir Kazi as saying that mobile phone services would remain suspended throughout the day until midnight in all districts of the city. Similarly, mobile phone services will remain suspended throughout the day until midnight in Sukkur, Rohri and Nawabshah.

A day earlier, the city’s main procession of 8th Muharram passed through its traditional route and culminated at Hussainian Iranian Imambargah in the Kharadar neighbourhood. The procession was held under strict security measures that included a ban on motorcycle-pillion riding and suspension of mobile phone service.

Processions on a smaller scale were held in Ancholi in Federal B Area, Pehlwan Goth in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Malir’s Jaffar-e-Tayyar Society, Old and New Rizvia Society, Qasba Colony, Abbas Town and Soldier Bazaar.

These processions later joined the main procession that began from Nishtar Park, and passed through its traditional route. A large number of people, including women and children, participated in the central procession.

A Majlis-e-Aza was held at the start at around 10am and was addressed by noted Shia scholar Maulana Kumail Mehdavi, who highlighted the matchless sacrifice of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA).

Mourners participating in the procession proceeded from Nishtar Park to Sir Shahnawaz Bhutto Road, Father Jaminis Road and Mehfil-e-Shah-e-Khurasan before emerging on MA Jinnah Road.

Following its conventional route, the procession terminated peacefully at Hussainian Iranian Imambargah. Personnel of law enforcement agencies were deployed to protect the main procession and Majalis venues. The procession was also monitored through security cameras at a command and control centre set up at the Central Police Office as well as at the Civic Centre.

Security personnel were also deployed at buildings’ rooftops to monitor the proceedings of the procession. Scouts organisations, rescue services and the city administration had also made necessary arrangements to facilitate the participants of the procession.

The home department has imposed a three-day ban, from Muharram 8 to Ashura, on motorcycle-pillion riding in the city, while the mobile phone service will remain suspended from Muharram 8 to Ashura from 7am to midnight.

Emergency has already been declared in all public sector hospitals of Karachi and other parts of the province, with instructions to ensure availability of doctors, paramedics and medicines. On Wednesday, apart from over 2,000 volunteers, more than 6,000 law enforcers were deployed en route to the main procession. No participant was allowed to enter the procession from the front.