PESHAWAR: The police have beefed up security here for the Eidul Fitr festival by deploying over 3,000 personnel to maintain the law and order situation.

According to senior police officials, the security plan for Eid holidays has been finalised, while leaves of all police personnel have been cancelled to depute more and more police personnel during the post-Ramazan religious festival.

In a statement issued here on Thursday, the police said that strict security measures had been taken with police personnel, including plainclothesmen, being deployed at entry and exit points of the provincial capital.

“Ababil Squad, City Patrol Force, Local Police Riders and Mobile Squads as well as additional police mobile units will also be deployed,” the police said in the statement.

Ban slapped on celebratory fire, fireworks

They said additional police personnel were deployed at all important and sensitive places in the provincial capital, including Eidgahs, mosques and other public places.

“As part of the plan, police personnel in plainclothes have also been deployed at places declared sensitive, including mosques and Eidgahs,” it said.

The police said walk-through gates were installed and the teams of the bomb disposal unit swept routes through sniffer dog teams.

Officials said besides police personnel in plainclothes, policewomen and BDU officials would also be patrolling all major markets of the capital city.

They added that the police’s Special Combat Unit was given a special task.

“All divisional superintendents of police have been directed to keep a close check on the people staying in hotels to ensure the security of the city. Information-based special targeted search and strike operations have been ordered in the vicinity,” it said in the statement.

Senior police officials said that several meetings were held with area elites and religious leaders besides influential people to hold meetings at their respective villages and prevent celebratory fire.

“We have been focusing on this important issue as several people lost lifeafter being hit by gunshots fired in the air. Anyone caught for firing in the air will be dealt with under relevant sections of the law,” a senior police official said.

He said religious leaders were told to highlight the issue.

The official said that the police department had directed the divisional superintendents of police to carry out an effective crackdown on celebratory fire.

BANNED: The district administration has banned residents from firing in the air, displaying toy guns, using toy horns, doing a wheelie and exploding firecrackers within the limits of Peshawar for seven days.

The notification read that public complaints were received from locals besides reports in mainstream media that loud toy horns and toy guns were used by children and youth creating public nuisance throughout the district besides “aerial firing” during Eid days not only resulted in loss of precious lives but also created fear among citizens.

“Anyone found violating this order shall be proceeded against under Section 188 of PPC,” it read.

Meanwhile, the district administration on Thursday banned fireworks, campfires, garbage dumping near forests, and other activities that could cause forest fires from May to September.

A notification read, “In pursuance of a decisions taken in the meeting of the divisional forest management team held under the commissioner of Peshawar division wherein it was decided that all deputy commissioners shall impose ban under Section 144 on fireworks, campfires, dumping of garbage near forests with 500 meters radius and any such activity prone to erupt fire in the forest for a period of 60 days.”

It added that such activities could cause forest fires endangering lives of humans and wild animals and destroying property on a large scale.

The notification said violators of the ban would be dealt with under Section 188 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2023