RAWALPINDI: The law enforcement agencies and the local administration have finalised arrangements for the security of the Muharram 7 procession and asked traders to close their business centres along the procession’s traditional route at 3pm on Saturday.

The local administration on Friday imposed Section 144 on pillion riding for 48 hours and started installing containers on the slip roads of the main procession route.

The Rawalpindi traders association president, Sharjeel Mir, confirmed that the local administration had requested them to close the shops on Saturday. However, he added, the traders agreed to pull their shutters in the evening.

“We will close the shops on Saturday evening as the main procession will be taken out after 8pm. We will open the shops on Sunday and Monday. The bazaar and markets will be completely closed on Ashura,” he said.

Control rooms have been set up in the district coordination office

The Muharram 7 procession will be brought out from Muslim Town at Nishtar Street and after passing through Transformer Chowk, Rawal Road, Raja Zafarul Haq Road, Committee Chowk, Iqbal Road, Sardar Alam Khan Road and Raja Bazaar will culminate at Imambargah Qadeemi. A procession of women taken out from Nayya Mohallah will merge into the main procession at Bohar Bazaar Chowk.

The provincial government held a meeting of religious leaders from all schools of thought at the commissioner office. The participants were requested to end their petty differences so that the law enforcement agencies could pay attention only on the threats coming from outsiders.

“We requested the traders to close their shops in the afternoon, especially along the traditional route of the main procession,” said a senior police officer while talking to Dawn.

He said the roads connected to the main procession route would be closed by putting containers and entry points would be allocated for the participants of the procession. Joint teams of organisers and law enforcement agencies would be deployed at the entry point to body search the participants.

He said the custodians of all mosques and religious places had been warned not to use loudspeakers, especially from Muharram 7 to Muharram 11, to avoid the repeat of the Raja Bazaar clash on Ashura last year.

Control rooms have been set up in the district coordination office and the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) office at Liaquat Bagh where officials would record the footage of the 300 close circuit TV (CCTV) cameras installed along the traditional route,” said an official of the City District Government Rawalpindi (CDGR).

When contacted, Regional Police Officer (RPO) Akhter Umer Hayat Lalika said the police had made all arrangements for security during Muharram. “We will not allow any miscreant to disturb the peaceful environment of the Rawalpindi division.”

He said all the stakeholders were in contact and there would be no repeat of the sectarian clash that took place in Raja bazaar last year. “We have adopted extra security measures and the army, Rangers and more than 4000 police personal will be on their toes to tackle any untoward situation,” he said.

“On Friday, there was no report about the violation of the ban on the use of loudspeakers,” he said.

Commissioner Zahid Saeed told Dawn that the provincial government had contacted all stakeholders in the division, especially in the garrison city. “All the religious leaders of different sects wanted peace and are ready to play their role.”

He said day-to-day reports had been dispatched to the chief minister regarding the security arrangements in Muharram. “The provincial government also contacted the main religious parties and took them in confidence about the security measures,” he said.

Published in Dawn, November 1st , 2014