PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) police and law enforcement agencies have finalised foolproof security arrangements for peaceful observance of processions and congregations on the 9th and 10th of Muharram in all major cities of the province.
According to the security plan, more than 30,000 policemen, besides personnel of Frontier Constabulary (FC), Anti-Terrorism Squads (ATS) and Elite Force of the police, would maintain law and order situation while also guarding Muharram processions. The army would also remain on standby to avert any untoward situation from happening.
The KP government has declared Peshawar, Hangu, Kohat and Dera Ismail Khan as most sensitive districts for Muharram, whereas, Manshera, Haripur, Bannu and Tank have been marked sensitive, while Nowshera, Mardan, Lakki Marwat and Abbottabad have been marked as normal.
In Peshawar, almost 9,000 police personnel have been deployed for the security of Muharram processions. The main procession of 9th Muharram would be taken out from imambargah Hussainia Hall on Saddar road at around 10am and would conclude at the same place after passing through the designated routes.
All streets leading towards Saddar road would remain closed, where a large number of police personnel would be deployed to thoroughly check mourners before allowing them to enter the imambargah premises. Two other processions would also be taken out from imambargahs Bibi Zikiri in Gunj and Imamia Colony on 9th Muharram.
Five command posts and a supreme command post have also been setup for monitoring the Muharram processions across the city. Police personnel would be monitoring all processions with the help of 100 close-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at the supreme command post.
Furthermore, the traffic police control room would also monitor the situation through CCTV cameras, out of which 25 CCTVs would also be installed in Gulbahar police station. The control rooms have been established in all districts of the province, including the Central Police Office.
In addition, police personnel and sniper squads would be deployed on all major buildings on main procession routes and processions would start only after receiving clearance from the bomb disposal squad.
Over 5,000 lights have also been installed in the premises of imambargahs and on different procession routes as part of the security arrangements.
