RAWALPINDI: Commissioner Aamir Khattak on Monday said that a control room would be set up which would remain functional 24 hours and focal persons of all departments concerned would be on duty.

He asked the district administration and law enforcement agencies to complete security and other civic arrangements for Muharram.

He said that it was the month of peace and brotherhood. During this holy month, no one will be allowed to create chaos, he said.

He was speaking at a meeting to review the arrangements for Ashura. Deputy Commissioner Dr Hassan Waqar Cheema, CPO Rawalpindi Khalid Hamdani, District Officer Rescue 1122, medical superintendent of allied hospitals, chief executive officer health, assistant commissioners from all tehsils and heads of other departments concernedwere also present there.

The commissioner said that the most important thing is coordination between all departments and training through mock exercises for better management of any emergency situation.

“These two points have been given special attention this time,” he said.

He further said that the control room has been made functional and the security arrangements should be monitored through cameras. He said that implementation of Muharram code of conduct and SOPs will be ensured and all resources will be used to maintain law and order.

He directed the administration that the supply of clean drinking water should be ensured for the mourners on the procession routes as per instructions of the Punjab chief minister .

“The quality of the arrangements should be ensured by visiting Majlis, Imambargah and the procession routes,” he said.

“There should be no complaint of garbage, electricity and hanging telephone wires anywhere on the procession route. The patchwork of the procession route is complete and the street lights are fully functional,” he said.

He said that foolproof security arrangements are being made during Muharram. Majlis and processions are being provided with the best security. All Majlis organisers have been sent copies of the code of conduct and they have been taken on board to ensure compliance with the code of c, he said.

Apart from this, he said that the Majlis organisers should refrain from inviting the provocative speaker.

He further said that along with ensuring the implementation of loudspeaker and other restrictions, all photocopy shops have been instructed not to share any material spreading haterd.

Jhelum

Deputy Commissioner of Jhelum Syeda Ramallah Ali, has imposed a ban on the speeches of 17 clerics during Muharram in the district.

This includes the well-known religious scholar Engineer Mohammad Ali Mirza.

According to details, the decision has been taken in order to maintain peace and prevent any potential sectarian violence during Muharram.

A number of scholars, including Hafiz Tahir Mahmood, Hafiz Abdul Hameed, Asim Ishfaq Rizvi, Asghar Ali Bukhari, Amir Mukhtar, Amjad Rizvi, Malik Iqrar Hussain, Qazi Aftab, Qazi Sadaqat, Zakir Ali Abbas, Qari Akhtar Hussain, Hafiz Gulzar, Ijaz Dar, Qari Zeeshan and Hafiz Bilal Rizvi have been prohibited from speaking at religious gatherings.

In her directive, the deputy commissioner has emphasised the importance of adherence to instructions by all institutes and taking serious action against violations. According to her, maintaining law and order in the district requires a zero-tolerance policy towards any speech that incites provocation.

Previously, the deputy commissioner had imposed a restriction on the entry of 16 speakers during the Muharram period in the district.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2024