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Thursday March 28, 2024

Police to ensure foolproof security during Muharram

By Our Correspondent
August 26, 2019

LAHORE: Deputy Inspector General of Police (Operations wing) Lahore Ashfaq Khan has said that Lahore Police is indiscriminately providing security to the programmes of followers of different schools of thought successfully.

We will provide foolproof security to all programmes of Muharram including Majalis and mourning processions, he said. Police officers should maintain constant liaison with members of the Peace Committees, religious leaders of all sects including Shia community and licence holders of Majalis to ensure peace and law and order in the city. SHOs of all the respective police stations can play a pivotal role in maintenance of peace during Ashura and Muharram. Ashfaq Khan was presiding over a high level meeting of all the Divisional SPs, DSPs, SHOs, Chowki In charges and Muharrars at District Police Lines Qilla Gujjar Singh here on Sunday. SSP Operations Lahore Ismail-ur-Rehman Kharak, SP Security Muhammad Naveed, SP Dolphin Squad Bilal Zafar, SP VVIP Security Mehmood ul Hassan attended the meeting. The DIG Operations directed the officers concerned to resolve intra-sect and inter-sect disputes before the arrival of Muharram and obtain Surety bonds from stakeholders to make all the programmes peaceful. The DIG Operations directed SPs and Circle Officers to personally monitor the affairs of briefing of police force deployed at Muharram programmes, logistic matters, checking and clearance of roots.

He directed for implementation on Sound System Act alongwith timely start and conclusion of Majalis and other programmes. Ashfaq Khan said that Lahore Police will ensure peaceful Muharram this year as well following the record history of Lahore as a peaceful city. Lahore Police (Operations Wing) Commander said, to avoid any nefarious designs of the enemy, Lahore Police will be on high alert and follow the SOPs and security plan chalked out to organise all the programmes of Muharram in a peaceful manner. Search and sweep operations, geo tagging, picketing and checking of tenants will be ensured. He further directed that construction of bunkers at the roofs of Imambargahs, installation of walkthrough gates and CCTV cameras alongwith provision of metal detectors for search purposes should be ensured well before Muharram. Ashfaq Khan said that three layers security would be provided to the participants of the main mourning processions of Ashura-e-Muharram.

The processions and other sensitive programmes of Muharram will be continuously monitored through the CCTV cameras of Punjab Safe Cities Authorities. Strict action will be initiated against distribution of any kind of hate material and wall chalking based on sectarianism. The DIG Operations said that all the related officers should have complete knowledge regarding the logistic and human resources at Police stations, Circles and Divisions level. Overall performance of all the Police officers and officials is regularly reviewed through stocktaking. Officers with good performance will be awarded whereas others with poor performance will be punished on the basis of this monitoring. DSPs and SHOs also gave suggestions in the meeting for conducting the programmes of Muharram in peaceful manners.

Narcotics, arms seized in raids on criminals: Dolphin Squad and Police Response Unit (PRU) of Lahore Police in their crackdowns on criminals recovered a car, 33 bikes, 36 mobile phones, cash, 29 pistols, two rifles, nine magazines and 614 bullets.

DIG Operations Lahore Ashfaq Khan had directed SP Dolphin Squad Lahore Bilal Zafar to accelerate speed of crackdown on criminals.

SP Dolphins Squad Bilal Zafar while giving details of weekly performance of both the wings said that crime fighters of Dolphins Squad and PRU recovered narcotics including charas and bottles of liquor from the criminals. While promoting community policing, both Dolphins and PRU helped 89 people on different roads of the city. Dolphin Squad and PRU during patrolling in the city, checked 150 vehicles, more than 1 lakh and 22 thousand motor bikes and 80 thousand and 474 people.

Ten vehicles and 88 motor bikes were impounded and 197 people were arrested in different police stations. Dolphins and PRU wings showed immediate response to the all 576 calls received on helpline 15. As many as 1 car, 33 bikes, 36 mobile phones and more than 01 lakh 62 thousands of rupees were recovered from the criminals during action. Dolphin Squad and PRU also arrested 36 criminals for wheelie, aerial firing and kite-flying.