High-tech control room established to monitor Muharram activities in Multan

MULTAN: Regional police have established a sophisticated and high-tech control room to monitor Muharram activities and processions round-the-clock in Multan, Khanewal, Lodhran and Vehari.

Talking to reporters on Tuesday, Regional Police Officer (RPO) Wasim Ahmed Khan said the control room would transmit live activities in the four districts in Multan division to ensure law and order situation. He said the regional police had engaged 8,497 cops to provide security cover to 911 processions. The RPO said “We appeal the masses to respond to control room fast on finding security lapses at any spot and keep vigilant on law breakers”.

The RPO said the regional police have installed 100 CCTV cameras in Multan, 252 in Vehari, 265 in Khanewal and 118 in Lodhran and erected 132 walkthrough gates along processions’ routes in the region.

The regional police equipped the police with 1,130 metal detectors, he said. The RPO said regional police could seek security cover from Army and Rangers in case of any Muharram emergency situation.

He said all possible steps were being taken to prevent any untoward incident and senior police officers were visiting routes and Imambargahs on daily basis in Multan, Khanewal, Lodhran and Vehari.

The regional police have identified six highly sensitive places in Multan range including Multan 3, Khanewal 2 and Lodhran where additional security personnel had been deputed. The traffic police have been directed to maintain traffic situation under control and avoid mess. The city traffic would depute Muharram duties to 570 wardens and at least two traffic wardens would cover each Majalis and five would cover each procession.

The RPO said a comprehensive security plan has been designed for exclusively for Multan district to ensure law and order situation, saying the regional police have engaged 4,293 cops for Multan district for 486 processions. He said a special squad would conduct unabated search operations in the district.

The RPO said sweeping and monitoring of all processions and religious gatherings would be done through CCTV cameras and personnel from special branch, Rescue-1122, PTCL, SNGPL, WAPDA, volunteers and civil defence would assist the police in maintaining security of processions.