HYDERABAD, Nov 23: With a ban on pillion-riding already in place, the Hyderabad commissioner on Friday also ordered a ban on motorcycle riding for three days due to security reasons, police said.

Only media, security personnel and the elderly are exempted from the ban.

However, it was observed that most of the people were not complying with the earlier ban on pillion-riding. After the ban on motorcycles, despite thin traffic and closed markets, people were observed to be riding on motorcycles as policemen were seen issuing warnings to riders in places such as Hussainabad and Kohinoor roundabouts.

Talking to Dawn, Hyderabad SP Amjad Shaikh said that security measures were being taken to protect the mourners and the residents. He said that since women too were recently found involved in suicide attacks, they will not be allowed to accompany male members of their families on motorcycles.

He said that there were 87 sensitive spots in the city and the police was carrying out surprise inspections of those places, along with manning the entrance and exit points of the city. He said around 3,100 law-enforcement officials, including 180 police commandoes, 30 women police, 300 traffic officials, two snipers and about 400 Rangers men, were deployed to ensure security at 28 Imambargahs and other places across Hyderabad district.

SP Shaikh said that the police have 15 pairs of cellphone jamming devices including Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and remote controls, which were installed in places along the procession routes and various venues for majalis. The devices block cellphone signals for up to a radius of radius of one kilometre, he added.

Moreover, SP Shaikh said that 56 cameras with digital video recording were also being installed on roads emerging from the electronic market and leading towards Qadam Gah. In addition, one armoured personnel carrier was parked at Qadam Gah Road while another was on standby.

He said that to avert security lapses on part of the police officials, the personnel were issued colour-coded cards to the three days leading up to the Ashura. Red cards were used by police officials on Friday, but the officials don’t know what coloured card they would receive today or on Sunday.

However, the people, already irked by the ban on pillion riding, were not at all pleased with the new restriction and claimed that overall the city was peaceful and such a ban wasn’t necessary.

A motorcyclist, Jamal Odho, was arguing with a policeman at Guddu roundabout. He said that he lived in Kotri and visited Hyderabad twice a day. He found motorcycle to be relatively cheaper and convenient than other means of transport.

Our Mirpurkhas correspondent adds: Meanwhile, the Sindh home minister imposed a ban on pillion-ridding in Mirpurkhas district till the 10th of Muharram. However, law-enforcement personnel, women and children, and the elderly would be exempted from the ban.

Moreover, the home ministry also imposed Section 144 of the criminal procedure code, which prohibits the gathering of five or more persons, carrying any kind of arms, organising illegal processions and public meetings, opening of cinemas and video-game shops till the day of Ashura.