Lahore Police have completed extensive security arrangements for a grand procession on the Martyrdom Day of Hazrat Ali (RA), which will leave from Mubarik Haveli in the Walled City and travel to Karbala Gamay Shah amid tight security on Monday.
More than 10,000 police personnel will be deployed across the city along the procession’s route and police have been ordered to stay on high alert and thoroughly check every suspicious vehicle before letting it enter the city. The Tazia, a replica of the mausoleum of Hazrat Ali (RA), will be taken out from Mubarik Haveli at 10am.
It will proceed towards the Mochi Gate and after going round the area once, will reach Chowk Nawab Sahib, Chohatta Mufti Baqir and Wazir Khan Mosque. The mourners will offer Zuhr prayers in front of the mosque and proceed towards Rang Mahal and reach Shah Alam Market. The procession will then proceed towards Bazaar Hakeeman and finally reach Karbala Gamay Shah through Lohari and Bhaati.
The Tazia procession will culminate at Karbala Gamay Shah at around 6pm. Lahore Police have adopted unprecedented security measures and have deployed around 10,000 personnel to guard the city against any terrorist activity similar to last year, when terrorists manage to sneak through security and carried out three suicide attacks on the procession, killing some 35 mourners and injuring over 200.
Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Ahmad Raza Tahir said that security arrangements for peaceful commemoration of Youm-e-Shahdat of Hazart Ali (RA) had been finalised. He said under the current situation, it was the need of the hour for the police and the citizens to join ranks in an organised manner to ensure proper protection and security of all sensitive areas where there was even a remote chance of terrorist activity.
Tahir said in a statement issued here on Sunday that steps had been taken to ensure vigorous monitoring of all routes and places of congregations and thorough checking would be ensured to prevent any act of terrorism. The CCPO appealed to the citizens to extend their wholehearted cooperation to police in order to make the security arrangements a success. He also appealed to the organisers to arrange for video recordings of congregations and processions, and requested participants to disperse at the end of the event in a gradual manner, so that no overcrowding took place.
SEARCHLIGHTS: Tahir also ordered Lahore Police to install searchlights on rooftops along the procession’s route to keep the path well-lit. He also asked the organisers to check all female participants of processions and congregations with the help of women volunteers, along with ensuring alternative electricity arrangements in the form of generators and uninterrupted power supplies (UPS).
The CCPO also ordered that vehicles should be parked well away from congregations and processions, and asked participants and the organizers to inform police immediately about any vehicles with tinted windows or without licence plates. In his statement, the CCPO also ordered proper and thorough checking of all venues before the commencement of majalis and processions, along with ensuring that no unclaimed items or freshly dug manholes remained unchecked, so that nothing could be hidden in it.
He said all participants should be checked comprehensively and thoroughly, with complete respect, while ensuring that no part of their clothing remained unchecked. The CCPO said that the checking staff and the local administration should start their checking at the outer security zone, and streets, roads and neighbourhoods near the procession’s route should be completely closed and sealed off.
The CCPO ordered the divisional superintendents of police concerned to personally check the deployment and patrolling of the mobile squads in their areas. The CCPO will make surprise inspections in order to review the security arrangements. Separately, Rescue 1122 will provide emergency cover by deploying emergency vehicles and rescue staff during the procession and events conducted in this connection.
A spokesman for the first response organisation said all of the arrangements had been completed and the purpose of these special arrangements was to overcome any emergency situation throughout the day. He said 11 posts had been set up by Rescue-1122 at various key points along the procession’s route such as Mubarik Haveli, Rang Mehal Chowk, Karbala Gamay Shah, Civil Lines, Data Darbar, Mochi Gate, Lohari, Hakeeman Wala Bazaar, Attoki Aiwan, Batapur and Town Hall.
Fully equipped ambulances and emergency vehicles along with trained staff have been deployed at all of the posts, he said. Citizens had been requested to call Rescue 1122 in case of any emergency. Agha Shah Hussain Qazalbash, one of the organisers, told Pakistan Today that they were quite satisfied with the efforts of Lahore Police and city district government to provide security to the procession. He said that Lahore Police had set up a lot of metal detectors and walkthrough gates to check participants.
He said a three-layer strategy had been adopted by Lahore Police and checking of every person would be ensured at all costs. He said police had also taken surety bonds from the owners of the houses located along the procession’s route, and owners of the houses and offices had been ordered to disallow any unknown person from entering the area.
Lahore Traffic Police officials will also remain alert on the occasion. Two superintendents of traffic police, six deputy superintendents, 13 inspectors and 365 traffic wardens will divert traffic to connecting roads in order to keep traffic flow smooth during the procession.