20 February 2005	Sunday	10 Muharram 1426

PESHAWAR/HARIPUR, Feb 19: Alam-o-Zuljinnah processions were taken out from Imambargah Hussainia hall in Saddar Bazaar in Peshawar and Imambargah Hussainia in Mohalla Motian in Haripur amid tight security on the 9th of Muharram on Saturday.

A large number of mourners participated in the processions and recited Noha. They paid rich tribute to the grandson of the Holy Prophet, Hazrat Imam Hussain. The police took strict security measures in Peshawar. All the roads leading to Saddar Bazaar were closed during the Zuljinnah procession and irrelevant people were not allowed by the police to enter it.

Police officials said that tight security measures had been taken so that Majalis could be held and processions taken out peacefully. They added that a heavy contingent of police had been deployed on all Imambargahs and routes where the processions in connection with Moharram would be taken out.

The policemen were directed to remain alert and keep a close watch on suspicious people and vehicles, a capital city police spokesman said. Along with the police, army and Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel were also deployed in the provincial metropolis.

The federal government had directed provincial governments and law-enforcement agencies to step up security for Ashura after learning from intelligence agencies that terrorists planned to attack Muharram processions and supply poisonous water to the Sabeels and other stalls. The interior ministry, in response, directed the law-enforcement agencies to raise security to the 'red alert' level.

In Peshawar, 21 platoons of police and 10 platoons of the FC have been deployed to avert any untoward incident during the Muharram processions. FC personnel were working under police command.

The army, which has continued its flag march in five sensitive districts - Peshawar, Abbottabad, Hangu, Kohat and Dera Ismail Khan, will be called in case a law and order situation was created in any of these areas. The army's flag march on various routes of the Moharram procession was meant to assist the police in case of an emergency.

The Zuljinnah procession of 9th Muharram ended peacefully at the end of the day. Shab-i-Ashur processions will be taken out from various Imambargahs in the walled city of Peshawar in the evening.

PROCESSION: The Zuljinah procession of the 9th of Muharram was taken out from the Imambargah Hussainia in Mohallah Motian in Haripur under tight security on Saturday.

The procession, which was participated by a large number of mourners from across the district, after passing through the traditional route, including the main bazaar, stopped at the Imambargah Qadeem.

The mourners, under tight security by the law-enforcement agencies, beat their chests and recited Noha all the way to Imambargah Qadeem. The district Nazim, Haripur, Dr Raja Amer Zaman; DPO Raja Naseer, SDPO Awais Khan Tor and heavy police and para-military contingents were present on the occasion.

The city was sealed off from the main chowk to Sheranwala Gate on Friday evening. Besides, Mochi Bazaar, Loharan Bazaar, Rehmanian Road and Sain Sehaili Road were also sealed off the same evening.