• Capital admin deploys over 3,000 police officials to secure procession route
• Public holiday in Rawalpindi on Monday, metro service suspended, exams postponed

ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI: The Islamabad police have developed a comprehensive security plan for Imam Husain’s Chehlum by deploying over 3,000 police officers and formulating a traffic plan to ensure smooth traffic flow on Sunday.

On the other hand, the Rawalpindi administration has announced a public holiday on Monday for Chehlum, whereas the metro bus service will also remain suspended for the day.

In Islamabad, the paramilitary Rangers will also assist the police who have been instructed to maintain close liaison with peace committees and procession organisers. Ambulances and fire brigade vehicles will be stationed near the procession route to handle any untoward situation whereas Dolphin Squad will patrol the designated procession routes and all the Zonal SPs, SDPOs and SHOs will supervise the procession security.

The organisers of the procession have also appointed volunteers to frisk both men and women for security and police commandos have been stationed along the procession routes to prevent untoward incidents.

Islamabad traffic plan

According to the plan, the main procession will emerge from the G-6 imambargah and pass through the designated route before culminating, as more than 500 officers of the Islamabad Traffic Police will perform duties to ensure smooth traffic flow. Participants of the procession will park their vehicles in designated parking areas, and alternative routes have been arranged for the convenience of citizens.

During the procession on Sunday, Fazal Haq Road from Polyclinic to Kulsoom Plaza will remain closed. Citizens can use Jinnah Avenue from Kulsoom Plaza to China Chowk. Both sides of 7th Avenue, from Daman-i-Koh Chowk to Chand Tara Chowk will also remain closed. Citizens can use alternative routes, such as Jinnah Avenue, Suhrawardy Road and Margalla Road. Similarly, both sides of the road from Iqbal Hall to Melody Chowk will remain closed to traffic. Citizens can use Aabpara Suhrawardy Road as an alternative route.

The Municipal Road from Lal Masjid to Shuhada Chowk and GPO Chowk will remain closed on both sides, and citizens can use Shaheed-i-Millat Road as an alternative route. Lukman Hakim Road from Polyclinic to Iqbal Hall will also remain closed and citizens can use Jinnah Avenue as an alternative route.

Chehlum in Rawalpindi

Rawalpindi will commemorate Chehlum on Monday and almost 4,400 police officials and 215 traffic police officials will perform duties on the occasion.

According to the administration, the routes leading towards the procession site will be blocked from Sunday night. “Section 144 has already been imposed in the city and the bazaars and markets around the traditional route of the Chelum procession will remain closed on Monday and surveillance is being done with the help of 200 CCTV cameras,” Deputy Commissioner Dr Hassan Waqar Cheema told Dawn. He said that the army, rangers and additional police contingents had been called in to secure the traditional route of the procession.

To a query about any flashpoint for sectarian violence, he said that traditionally there were few spots along the route of the procession but the provincial government requested the members of the peace committee comprising religious scholars from all schools of thought to remain on the spot to avoid any untoward situation.

Meanwhile, the Rawalpindi Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (RBISE) postponed the matriculation exam on Aug 26. RBISE spokesman Arslan Cheema said that the papers had been postponed across the division due to a local holiday. According to the new schedule, these papers will be held on September 18. Pir Mehar Ali Shah-Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi University and Fatima Jinnah Women University will also be closed on Monday.

Traders Association President Sharjeel Mir told Dawn that all markets in Raja Bazaar would be closed on Monday due to the procession. The markets in Saddar and Commercial Market will remain open.

The procession will be taken out from Imambargah Ashiq Hussain in Teli Mohallah and will culminate at Imambargah Qadeemi Jamia on Masjid Road after passing through Murree Road, Iqbal Road, Raja Bazaar and Jamia Masjid Road. The smaller processions will also join the main procession at Col Maqbool Imambargah in Bohar Bazaar.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2024