RAWALPINDI: As many as six companies of the Pakistan Army as well as extra police will be deployed in the garrison city from Muharram 7 (today) onwards to deal with any emergency situation. Additionally, close circuit TV (CCTV) cameras have been installed for full monitoring of category A processions.

During a briefing given to a delegation of the Punjab Cabinet Committee on Law and Order in Rawalpindi on Saturday, the meeting was informed that three-tier security had been laid out to protect processions, including metal detectors, walk-through gates and physical checking.

The delegation of the cabinet committee was headed by Cabinet Committee Chairman and Punjab Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique, who also presided over a review meeting at the Commissioner’s Office.

Punjab cabinet committee inspects procession route; Punjab govt to arrange Sabeel, Langar

Punjab ministers Mujtaba Shujaur Rahman and Bilal Akbar Khan as well as Special Assistant Zeeshan Malik were part of the delegation. Punjab Home Secretary Noorul Amin Mengal, IG Punjab Dr Usman Anwar, Additional IG CTD, DIG Special Branch, Commissioner Engineer Aamir Khattak and RPO Babar Sarfraz Alpa, deputy commissioners of all districts, DPOs and representatives of the departments concerned as well as members of the divisional and district peace committees were also present on the occasion.

Khawaja Salman Rafiq directed that a zero-tolerance policy should be adopted towards any violation of the code of conduct of Muharram, adding that the scheduled time and route of the procession should be followed.

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He said on the instructions of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, for the first time arrangements for Sabeel, Niaz and Langar were being made by the government. Apart from foolproof security arrangements, peace committees should be mobilised for communal harmony and inter-Muslim unity, he added.

Punjab Minister Bilal Akbar said we should forget differences and discuss commonalities.

He said hospitals should be alerted to deal with any emergency, adding that during an emergency situation, more damage was caused by mismanagement and thus it was necessary to conduct mock exercises.

Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman said the atmosphere of inter-faith harmony and tolerance should be nurtured in the holy month of Muharram. He said apart from monitoring loudspeakers and social media, audio and video recordings of Majalis and processions should be compiled.

Special Assistant to Chief Minister Punjab Zeeshan Malik said he had been given the responsibility of Rawalpindi Division by the chief minister and he would stay in the division till Ashura.

He said he would also visit all districts and review the arrangements in detail. The cabinet committee urged members of the peace committee to resolve mutual disputes together so that no one got a chance to disturb peace.

Giving a briefing, Commissioner Aamir Khattak said arrangements for all 3,958 Majalis and 714 processions had been completed in Rawalpindi Division, and orders were issued to ban the entry of 227 firebrand speakers. As many as 133 people had been included in the fourth schedule in Rawalpindi.

He said procession routes had been cleaned, patchwork and road repair carried out and hanging electric wires fixed.

Apart from this, he said coordination with scholars of all schools of thought had been ensured, adding that arrangements had been finalised by conducting division-wise tours. He further said that all scholars had been informed that neither any hate speech would be given nor firebrand speakers invited to avoid any untoward incident.

RPO Babar Sarfraz Alpa said that as Muslims we should respect each other’s beliefs, ideas and thoughts. At the end of the meeting, a collective prayer was also offered for national peace and security.

Meanwhile, the delegation of the cabinet committee visited the route of the Ashura procession and also inspected the Safe City Centre.

The RPO gave a briefing to the cabinet committee and said that a total of 1,600 cameras of the Safe City had been installed.

Published in Dawn, July 14th, 2024