LAHORE: Nine companies of Punjab Rangers started performing their duties on Monday for maintaining law and order during Ashura in six sensitive cities of Punjab including Lahore. Punjab Rangers spokesman SR Mehboob told Pakistan Today that nine Punjab Rangers companies have left their stations to take charge of security during Ashura for avoiding any untoward incident.
He said that the companies have left on Punjab Rangers Director General Major General Yaqoob Ali Khan’s orders. He said that Rangers would perform security duties in six sensitive districts of Punjab including Lahore, Gujranwala, Attock, Chakwal, Bahawalpur and Muzzaffargarh. Mehboob said that Rangers would perform flag march today (Tuesday) but its timings were not finalised.
He said that in Lahore, Rangers have been deployed at one or two places according to their sensitivity and the remaining officials would be deployed after the flag march. Lahore Police have already devised a comprehensive strategy for combating terrorism. Around 1,200 policemen would be deployed on the main Zuljinah procession’s route. Police have also requested Shias to install more than 100 security cameras at and around imambargahs and on the main Zuljinah procession’s route. Army has been requested to erect barb wires on the main Zuljinah procession’s route and at and around imambargahs.
Police have also banned entry of more than three dozen Shia clerics and noha khawans into the city during Ashura owing to terror threats. Interestingly, despite banning local Shia clerics from entering Lahore, police have allowed Indian Shia clerics to come to Lahore. Police have also not been able to install security cameras on the main Zuljinah procession route and also failed to provide barb wires.
