Muharram security plan unveiled: 40,000 personnel to be deployed across KP

PESHAWAR: 40,000 security personnel would be deployed during the Muharram, whereas special contingents of the Frontier Constabulary (FC) and Pak Army would also be deployed for the security of the processions and gatherings in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

These arrangements have been made under a security plan for the month of Muharram. The plan was unveiled during a meeting held here with Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan in the chair.

KP Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry, Additional Chief Secretary Home Muhammad Abid Majeed, Inspector General of Police Akhtar Hayat Khan Gandapur, administrative secretaries of concerned departments and other relevant high ups attended the meeting. Divisional commissioners, regional police officers, deputy commissioners and district police officers also attended the meeting via video link.

While briefing the participants on the security plan and other arrangements for the month of Muharram, it was informed that Muharram processions and gatherings would be carried out in 14 districts of the province out of which, eight districts have been reported as the most sensitive and other six as sensitive in terms of law and order and security arrangements.

An integrated strategy in consultation with all the stakeholders has been devised to effectively monitor the processions and gatherings.

“A central control room comprising representatives from all relevant departments and law enforcing agencies is also being set up at the Home department for the purpose,” the authorities told and added that special arrangements have been made for the security of sensitive districts and spots across the province.

Processions and public gatherings would be monitored directly through CCTV cameras whereas display of arms, pillion riding and hateful wall chalking also had been banned.

The participants were further informed that special initiatives have been proposed to constantly monitor social media pages in order to control spreading of hateful contents and negative propaganda during the Muharram. Similarly, mobile phones services in the sensitive districts would be suspended. Apart from this, staff of health and rescue departments would be assigned with special duties with the purpose to effectively deal with any untoward situation during the Muharram.

Addressing the participants, the chief minister said that maintaining law and order during the holy month of Muharram is the top most priority of the government, and that’s why, he directed that special attention must be given to the sensitive districts across the province so as to avoid any kind of unrest and untoward situation in the province.

He has directed the concerned quarters to release the financial resources required for the security purpose on the first priority. Moreover, he directed that religious leaders of different sects and elected public representatives should be approached as an effort to promote religious harmony and tolerance during Muharram.

Similarly, keeping in view the intense heat wave in the province, the CM directed to install tents at suitable places in the routes of processions, further directing them to take the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) and Tribal Electric Supply Company (Tesco) authorities on board in order to ensure uninterrupted supply of electricity to the routes and places of processions and public gatherings (Majalis).

The chief minister further directed them to have an effective mechanism of coordination amongst all the relevant departments and agencies at provincial, decisional and district levels, adding that the proposed security plan should be implemented in its letter and spirit.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024