November 01, 2007	Thursday	Shawwal 19, 1428

LAHORE, Oct 31: Police have adopted new measures to avert any eventuality in the city that include removing abandoned or unguarded things from congested areas and deployment of police squad at public places. Police took such measures after a suicide blast in Rawalpindi on Oct 30.

Police guards have been deployed at all pickets and police squad, consisting of 10 to 15 police officials each, at different places to monitor and protect the public movement.

Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Malik Muhammad Iqbal issued a directive to all police stations and Tipu Company on Tuesday to adopt precautionary measures and sought report on it, Dawn learnt.

The directive states police officials will remove abandoned or unattended bicycles, motorcycles, cars or other vehicles, bags, shopper bags and other material from roads and at crossings, in and around garbage drums, at open places and adjacent to buildings.

Following the directive, patrolling as well as field police officials launched an operation in Ravi Town and City police divisions late on Tuesday.

The cleanup drive will focus on Data Darbar shrine, General Bus Stand, Railway Station, Azadi Chowk, hotels near the railway station, Badami Bagh Bus Stand and Bund Road. A new picket has been set up at Railway Station.

The directive says police officials will not allow parking in and around pickets and will set up barricades in and around pickets and gathering of police squad.

Mr Iqbal confirmed the development, saying security measures were being taken in the wake of a spate of suicide attacks in the country.

“Police will check and remove abandoned or unguarded things from public places in two divisions,” he said.

“Police will check abandoned things vigilantly so as terrorists cannot use such things to plant explosives there. The police have been doing this practice earlier but it was never highlighted. Now it is our top priority to remove such things from congested areas and VVIP routes.”

The CCPO said pickets had once again been erected at all entrance or exit points of the city after the Rawalpindi suicide attack. He said these pickets would monitor the movements of suspected vehicles.