LAHORE: The district government had taken strict security measures for the Youm-e-Ali (RA) procession, deploying over 8,000 police personnel and large number of reserved police personnel on the route and other sensitive places.
Pillion-riding on motorbikes was banned while mobile phone service was suspended in specific areas. All major roads leading to the procession route were closed to the traffic. Besides, the policemen had taken positions at the rooftops of the buildings along the route and nobody was allowed to stand and watch from the rooftops and balconies. Special control rooms were established at different points monitor the situation, both manually and through CCTV cameras installed at sensitive points for the purpose.
As special security measures this year, the district administration sealed the walled city especially the route of the main procession by parking containers, barbed wires and barricades. Nobody was allowed to join the procession.
Majority of mourners covered their faces with masks to protect themselves from coronavirus. The government of Punjab had issued SOPs of which some were implemented and most of the other SOPs were violated. The mourners violated the social distancing system, including the women who were asked to stay at homes, but they participated in the procession.
DIG Operations Lahore visited different important places of the city to review security arrangements made by Lahore Police.
