JHANG, Jan 21: The Ashura processions and Majalis-i-Aza culminated peacefully despite serious security lapses at some points here on Sunday and no untoward incident was reported from throughout the otherwise ‘fragile’ district known for its sectarianism-prone history.

The main Taazia and Zuljinnah procession emerged from Imambargarh Gohar Shah and after travelling on a four-kilometre traditional route through the spacious Shaheed Road and narrow lanes of Rail Bazaar and Katra Barwala culminated at Imambargah Bulak Shah. A Taazia procession joined the main Zuljinnah procession in middle of its way at Mohallah Dabkranwala.

Though security arrangements along the main procession taken out from Imambargah Gohar Shah were sufficient enough and personnel equipped with metal detectors frisked mourners at every entry and exit point, elsewhere the security was not so stringent and a lot of loopholes were obvious.

Mohallah Dabkranwala is densely populated area of the city from where a Majlis-i-Aza proceeds to emergence of a traditional Taazia procession. This is highly sensitive area of the city where several sectarian skirmishes had erupted in the past but no security arrangements were on the ground there.

Though police personnel were present, ordinary people beside mourners were entering and leaving the procession freely, without being frisked or checked even manually.

Similarly, though a heavy contingent of police was deployed at Imambargah Bulak Shah, where all Taazia and Zuljinnah processions culminated in the evening, nobody bothered to frisk any entrant.

A police official, requesting anonymity, told Dawn that frisking empty-handed any ‘potential’ terrorist was obviously a difficult choice.

Similar reports emerged from numerous villages of the district, where thin rather nominal security was provided to mourners.