KARACHI: The major challenge of Muharram 9 and 10 security has put the city security administration on their toes as the main business centre of Karachi has been sealed and more than 20,000 policemen in uniform and plain clothes and Rangers personnel have been deployed to protect main processions backed by round-the-clock surveillance by over 1,200 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, Dawn has learnt.

An official said the police started executing an elaborate security plan on Saturday night and in the first phase of the plan M. A. Jinnah Road — the route of main processions — had been cordoned with containers.

All arteries connecting others roads with M. A. Jinnah Road were closed by Sunday evening.

Mobile phone service to be off in Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur

“These connecting smaller roads are located at Regal Chowk in Saddar, Soldier Bazaar, Lighthouse, Numaish, Kharadar, Jama Cloth Market and several other localities along the main M. A. Jinnah Road,” he said. “All shops and markets along the road have been sealed and the residents of the adjoining neighbourhoods have been requested to keep their movement limited.”

On every high-rise building along M. A. Jinnah Road a sniper of the Sindh police had been posted, he said adding that the law-enforcement agency had also arranged 1,250 CCTV cameras solely for surveillance of the Muharram processions.

“It is a special arrangement that is being practised for the past three years. The police install temporary cameras to monitor processions and set up special command and control centre for round-the-clock surveillance, which has proved quite effective,” added the official.

There will be over 280 mourning processions, including the main procession, and over 650 Majalis and around 50 Mahafil/Waaz in the metropolis, according to a report submitted to Sindh police IG Ghulam Haider Jamali by Additional IG of Karachi Ghulam Qadir Thebo on security arrangements in the metropolis.

All kinds of parking have been prohibited to ensure extraordinary security near the over 400 Imambargahs, venues of Majalis and routes of mourning processions.

Special parking places have been designated at distance from procession routes and venues of Majalis, where sweeping, scanning and clearing by the bomb disposal squads are being ensured, the report added.

The report said that besides the placement of walkthrough gates at the entry and exit points of Nishtar Park, the starting point of the main procession, frisking of participants with metal detectors with the cooperation of organisers was also being ensured.

Similar arrangements have been made at the Hussainian Iranian Imambargah.

As pillion-riding has been banned till Nov 4 and carrying of arms is not allowed under Section 144 of the criminal procedure code, city police officials believe that security of Muharram processions and Majalis has emerged as the most challenging job for the security apparatus considering the level of threat and growing trend of militancy.

Although the Muharram processions have not witnessed any major attack since December 2009 when dozens of mourners fell prey to the Ashura bombing, the authorities believe the off and on attacks on participants in Majalis this year and consistent killings on sectarian grounds do not allow the law enforcement agency to take job lightly.

“The threat is always there considering the level of militancy and terrorism across the country,” said city police chief Ghulam Qadir Thebo. “We cannot rely on past trends. There are always intelligence reports that suggest possible attacks and terror activity during these days and we have to take every possible measure to counter that possible threat.”

A senior police official who was part of Muharram security planning and execution said that more than 100 police mobiles with many of them installed with CCTV cameras and around a dozen armoured personnel carriers (APCs) had been dedicated for the Muharram 9 and 10 processions security.

“There are 80 motorbikes with each carrying two armed policemen, which would patrol the route at head and tail of the procession,” he said. “Helicopters will also be used for aerial monitoring of the procession. A quick response force comprising 500 police and Rangers commandoes has also been set up for immediate action in case of any untoward incident during main processions.”

Mobile phone service

The mobile phone services is likely to remain shut in three major cities of Sindh in view of security threats on account of Ashura, said a senior official.

Sindh home secretary Dr Niaz Ali Abbasi told Dawn that all four provinces had recommended to the federal government to direct cellular companies to shut the mobile service on 9th and 10th of Muharram.

Accepting the demand of the Sindh government, the federal government has decided to close the mobile phone service in Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur districts.

The service would remain closed in Karachi from 6am to 10pm on 9th and 10th of Muharram. In Karachi some areas might not face the closure of the mobile phone service, added the officer.

The home secretary disclosed that in Hyderabad and Sukkur, the phone service would remain close from 11am to 7pm during the days.

D Abbasi said this decision was taken owing to serious security threats.

*Published in Dawn, November 3rd, 2014