Newly-appointed Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Muhammad Tahir has ordered his subordinates to ensure a four-tier security across Punjab for Muharram-ul-Haram by conducting screening and scanning of the routes of main mourning processions before Ashura.
"Over 1, 40,000 police officials will be deputed across the province for the security of 7763 imambargahs and other sensitive places belonging to other school of thought," said a senior police officer while briefing the IG during a video-link conference of regional and district police officers held at the central police office (CPO) on Thursday to finalise security measures ahead of Ashura.
For the security of nearly 36,638 majalis, around 1,39,402 cops including 1038 gazetted officers, 1,803 inspectors, 4431 sub-inspectors, 9,094 ASIs, 15,959 head constables, 1,07077 constables, 37,204 Qaumi Razakars, 5,590 special police officers and 90,930 police volunteers will also perform security duties.
Likewise, around 137232 police officials, including 781 gazetted officers, 1,907 inspectors, 6135 sub-inspectors, 11,217 ASIs, 12,803 head constables and 1,04,389 constables will perform their duties for the security of 9,482 mourning processions.
While issuing directions to the RPOs and DPOs, the provincial police chief said there should be a strict ban on wall-chalking and the use of loud speakers. He also ordered to strictly observe activities of individuals who are under fourth schedule.
He asked his subordinates to hold meetings with the members of peace committees and take them into confidence over security matters. The police officers should strictly conduct checking of beggars and hawkers outside the imambargahs. IG Tahir further said that the field cops must not leave their duty points till culmination of all religious activities. Arrangements have also been finalised for the distribution of fresh food and clean drinking water to the field cops, he added.
The police officers should not permit mourners to enter majalis and processions without proper checking through metal detectors and walkthrough gates. He further said that special control rooms should be set up for monitoring of security arrangements in all districts for Yom-e-Ashoor.
He said commandoes in plain clothes should be deployed for the security of majalis and processions. Snipers will also be deputed on rooftops of sensitive buildings falling under the routes of central processions and majalis.
He directed officers that all RPOs and DPOs should supervise security plan of main processions and Majalis themselves in their respective regions and districts and also visit field personally to examine the security arrangements and also brief the officials deployed over the security about sensitivity of their duties.
The schedule/timings of the processions and majalis should strictly be observed and search, sweep, combing and intelligence based operations should be carried out in the vicinity of processions, majalis and sensitive imambargahs in all districts of the province on daily basis, he ordered. By keeping in view the timings of the processions and the majalis, a proper traffic plan should also be devised to ensure smooth flow of traffic on Youm-e-Ashoor and other major processions, he concluded.