Youm-e-Ashura held peacefully: mourners reaffirm allegiance to Imam Hussain (RA)

Ashura procession to commemorate the Karbala tragedy and pay tributes to Imam Hussain (RA) and his companions was held in the city on Saturday amid tight security arrangements.
Various small and large Alam processions taken out from Nishtar Park and Old Ehibition intersection on Saturday morning culminated at Hussainian Iranian Imambargah in Kharadar in the evening after passing through the traditional routes of Mehfil-e-Shah-e-Khurasan, M. A. Jinnah Road, Preedy Street, Boultan Market, Bombay Bazaar, Kharadar, Nawab Muhammad Khanji Road.
Hundreds of thousands mourners clad in black apparels performed the Muharram's final rituals on the route of the procession from morning to the evening.
Carrying black flags and banners inscribed with religious scriptures, mourners beat their chests and recited "nohas". Some of the youths were seen doing self-flagellation, an important aspect of the mourning procession.
Hundreds of thousands of mourners continued to raising slogans from dawn to dusk, reaffirming their allegiance to Imam Hussain (RA) and his companions.
The participants of the procession offered Namaz-e-Zohrain which was led by Allama Ghulam Abbas Raisi at Tibbat Center. Later, various Shia Muslim organisations, including Majlis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM), Jafaria Alliance, Shia Ulema Council (SUC) and Imamia Students Organisation (ISO) held a demonstration to condemn Friday's suicide attack on 9th Muharram procession in Jacobabad that claimed over 24 lives, besides injuring several others.
The protesters accused Jacobabad city administration of failing in its duty of maintaining law and order and in protecting the lives of Muslims from the barbaric acts of terrorists. They demanded of the government to take action against those found guilty of dereliction of their duties.
"Those who are trying to scale down the Majalis and rallies on the pretext of security risks are living in fools' paradise. Holding peaceful processions is our constitutional right and it is the responsibility of government to protect us from terrorists," they added.
They, however, lauded the measures taken by the government and Pakistan Army for thwarting the nefarious designs of terrorists in the country under the National Action Plan. (NAP).
Hundreds of mourners also staged a sit-in at the site where a bomb blast had occurred in 2009 while an Ashura procession was on its way to Hussainian Iranian Imambargah and paid tributes to the martyrs of the gory incident.
Scholars threw light on the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (RA) and his companions at Karbala and exhorted the participants of the procession to follow into the footsteps of Imam Hussain who sacrificed his life for the noble cause of humanity and justice. They also urged the mourners to learn lessen of from the Karbala which told us never to bow our heads before the forces of tyranny.
Big placards, banners, flags and billboards inscribed with Quranic verses were visible on M. A. Jinnah Road and in different parts of the city.
The government has made elaborate arrangements for the main Youm-e-Ashura procession with a three-fold security check entry for the participants of the procession. Flawless performance on the part of police, Rangers and scouts paved the way for peaceful culmination of main precession at Hussainian Iranian Imambargah.
Helicopters continued to hover over the route of the precession route to monitor the situation while security personnel on ground kept a round-the-clock vigil to ward off any untoward incident.
Various roads and streets connecting main M. A. Jinnah Road were sealed so as to ensure that no anti-social element could make enter on the route of procession.
Moreover, stringent security measures were taken near Nishtar Park, Old Exhibition and other flashpoints by deploying a huge number of police and Rangers personnel.
Several reception stalls were completely packed with sand-filled sacks to shield the organisers from any terrorist attack.
A number of roadside camps were set up to provide water and medical-aid to mourners.