RAWALPINDI: The district administration has activated a control room to monitor mourning processions after installing over 700 close circuit TV (CCTV) cameras on the traditional routes of Muharram 7 and Ashura processions.

Moreover, four relief camps have also been set up on the routes. Night vision cameras are being used for effective monitoring of the processions.

Talking to Dawn, Deputy Commissioner Dr Hassan Waqar Cheema said that the control room had been activated and this year the number of CCTV cameras had also been increased.

“Last year, 350 CCTV cameras were installed on the routes of mourning processions but this year we are installing over 700 CCTV cameras to monitor the processions effectively. We have installed cameras in every nook and corner of the traditional routes.”

Meanwhile, Commissioner Aamir Khattak along with the deputy commissioner and members of the peace committee visited the routes of Muharram 7 procession.

The procession will commence at Sadiqabad and pass through Raja Bazaar and conclude at Qadeemi Imambargah. During the visit, the commissioner reviewed the security and other arrangements made on the route.

Officials briefed the commissioner about the arrangements. Mr Khattak said the ongoing work on the procession routes should be completed in two days. He said no negligence will be tolerated by any department.

He said there shouldn’t be any complaint about hanging electricity, PTCL and cable wires on the routes. “Rains have been predicted on Ashura so cleaning of all small and major drains on the routes should be ensured. In case of rain on the day of mourning processions, a special squad should be formed for drainage of the rainwater. The squad will perform duty only on the procession route,” he said.

The deputy commissioner said that he was supervising all the arrangements. The patchwork on the routes will be completed by Wednesday evening. He said assistant commissioners were focusing on visiting the routes of processions in their respective tehsils.

After the completion of ongoing work on the routes of the processions, certificates will be taken from the concerned departments. Also, the arrangements will be reviewed by visiting the routes.

Later, the commissioner visited the central control room set up in Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation offices and was briefed on its working. He said focal persons of all concerned departments should be nominated and their duty roster should be prepared. He urged the citizens to cooperate with the district government in order to ensure peace.

Published in Dawn, July 10th, 2024