The law enforcement agencies (LEAs) have chalked out a strict security plan for Muharram 9 and 10 to avert any untoward incident in the city.
The routes of the processions would remain unchanged and due to the precautionary measures taken by the LEAs, mourners would have to walk a long way to participate in them.
Almost 12,228 security personnel, including 6,228 police, 2,000 Rangers and 400 Shia volunteers, would be deployed across the city to ensure that the processions reach their destinations safely, while 500 FC personnel would also be available for backup.
A total of 23 SSPs, 47 DSPs, 851 non-gazetted officers, 3,928 constables, 88 female constables would be deployed along the routes of the processions.
There would be 59 mobiles, 56 motorcycles, nine armoured personnel carriers, six prisoner vans, 45 ambulances and 15 fire tenders deployed along the routes as well.
As many as 500 commandos of the Special Police Group and 150 personnel of the Sindh Reserve Police would also be available.
Over 100 mosques and imambargahs have been declared sensitive.
According to the plan, the route of the main procession on Muharram 10 has been divided into five sectors. Each sector would have two sub-sectors. Each sector would be headed by an SSP and a sub-sector by a DSP.
SHARPSHOOTERS: Sharpshooters would be deployed on six buildings along the route of the main procession
They will act on the orders of a sector commander or a sub-sector commander.
BDU: Three teams of the Bomb Disposal Unit (BDU) would be on duty during the procession. One team would be in the front of the procession while the second on its tail. The third would serve as backup.
ENTRY POINTS: Ten entry points have been designated for the participants of the procession: Shahrah-e-Quaideen, Wazir Orthopaedic and Trauma Centre, the junction of the Britto Road, the junction of the Kareem Jee Street, Ali Raza Street, Saddar Dawakhana, Sarmad Road, the corner of the Tahir Saifuddin Road, Denso Hall and the Kharadar police station.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Five special teams have been formed. Three teams have been named ‘CAT’ and the other two ‘Investigation’. The CAT teams will cordon off the area where any untoward incident occurs, take the injured to the hospital and remove hurdles. The other teams will focus on investigation.
BASE CAMPS: Three base camps have been set up at Poorani Numaish, Mama Parsi and Kharadar. They would control and monitor the situation.
HOSPITALS:Four hospitals, including two private ones, would be used in case of a terror attack.
A total of 22 police personnel including 2 non-gazetted officers and 20 constables will perform duties at the hospitals. Doctors and paramedical staff would be on emergency duty.
VIDEO MONITORING: The LEAs have set up a video monitoring system for the main procession. They would use 209 CCTV cameras, including 89 of the city government and 120 of the Karachi police, to monitor the procession throughout the day.
Twenty-four of the cameras would monitor the procession at Nishtar Park and its surroundings.
The LEAs have also arranged mobile video surveillance. Three police vans, equipped with four cameras each, will be making footage of their surroundings. Each camera will cover an area of 360 diameters.
One mobile video surveillance van would be in front of the procession, the second on its tail and the third would move around it.
JAMMING DEVICES: Four jamming devices have been installed along the route of main procession. Each of them would cover an area of 200 diameters.
SCOUTS: More than 4,000 scouts and volunteers would be deployed for the security of the main procession to assist the LEAs.
Sardar Hussain, the media coordinator of the Scouts Rabita Council, said that 22 scout groups would be deployed to protect the procession including the Young Boys Scouts, Young Generation Scouts, Pak Friends Scouts, Pak Ghazi Scouts, Barkati Scouts, Pak Night Scouts and the Pakistan Christian Scouts.