RAWALPINDI: Law enforcement agencies have declared seven places on the route of the Ashura mourning procession in the Rawalpindi city as most sensitive.

These included areas around the seminaries of the Deobandi school of thought, including Taleemul Quran madresshah, at Raja Bazaar.

A senior police official told Dawn that extra security personnel would be deployed at these places to avoid any clash between different groups. The sensitive places also included two mosques at Bohar Bazaar Chowk.

“The local administration managed to arrange 10 equipment which can be used to monitor the traditional procession on Ashura. The equipment, having two close-circuit TV cameras, are connected to the computer systems at the chief minister secretariat in Lahore, home secretary, IGP and the local administration offices. These equipment also have a sound system and flash lights for emergency at night,” he said.

Meanwhile, a meeting was held in the office of the commissioner Rawalpindi with Punjab Labour Minister Raja Ashfaq Sarwar in the chair to review the security plan for Ashura.

Minister tells meeting extra security personnel will be deployed to maintain peace

Commissioner Zahid Saeed, RPO Umar Akhtar Hayyat Lalika, MNAs Malik Ibrar Ahmed and Raja Javed Ikhlas, Raja Ateeq Sarwar, Malik Shakeel Awan, Mirza Mansoor Baig and officials of the local administration and police attended the meeting.

The minister told the meeting that steps had been taken to ensure peace on Ashura.

“Ulema of all schools of thought have been taken on board for their close cooperation to maintain sectarian harmony in the city.”

He said it was our moral, religious and national obligation to maintain religious harmony during Muharram. Keeping in view the critical situation, the local administration has chalked out plans to provide security cover to the participants of Majalis and the processions of Muharram.

He said 200 close-circuit cameras had been installed along the routes of Muharram processions and a master control room set up to monitor the situation.

Mr Sarwar said members of the provincial cabinet and PML-N leaders and workers along with Ulema would remain present during the Muharram processions to ensure peace and tranquility.

The commissioner and RPO briefed the meeting about the security plan and said police and other law enforcement agencies would be deployed to maintain peace in the city.

Published in Dawn, November 2nd , 2014