LAHORE: Inspector General of Police (IGP) Muhammad Tahir said on Wednesday that the police personnel must remain on high alert to ensure peaceful environment throughout the province during Ashura in order to prevent any untoward activity by extremists and terrorists.

He ordered strict screening and checking of the routes of central processions on Muharram 9 and 10 and that should be done through bomb disposal squad and sniffer dogs of special branch.

He issued instructions during his visit to Faisalabad and Sargodha where he chaired meetings of the senior police officers.

The IGP also issued instructions to make arrangements for the parking of motorcycles and cars at minimum 100 feet from mosques and imambarghas after being checked by active officials.

He asked the officers to utilize available resources for the provision of Muharram security and to ensure punctuality of processions and majalis and ordered to expedite search, sweep, combing and intelligence based operations in the vicinity of processions, majalis and imam bargahs of the sensitive districts.

He asked them to ensure the strict implementation of loud-speaker act, and ban on walk chalking, and ariel firing.

The IGP directed them to ensure a four-layer security, according to the defined SOPs, for the sensitive processions and Majalis. He said plainclothes commandos should be deployed for security of majalis and processions and he directed to deploy snipers on rooftops of the buildings on the routes of sensitive processions and Majalis.

He said a crackdown should be launched after Ashura for the elimination of anti-social elements.

RAILWAYS: Security arrangements at railway stations and in trains will be intensified on Muharram 9 and 10.

Railways Police Inspector-General Dr Mujeebur Rahman directed on Wednesday his subordinates to adopt extraordinary pre-emptive measures, remain on high alert and keep an eye on all passengers without disturbing anyone.

All entry and exit points to the railways installations should be manned and passengers and their luggage be frisked and examined with metal detectors and with the co-ordination of bomb disposal staff, he said.

The maximum number of railways police personnel should be deployed for the protection of department’s vital installations as well as belongings inside trains by withdrawing them from other duties. Railways police personnel should patrol the areas within their jurisdiction regularly besides joint trolley patrol with PR officials.

He said special operation should be launched against un-authorised hawkers and vendors besides beggars at railway stations and in moving trains. Measures should be taken to prevent black-marketing or resale of railway tickets.

Sweeping of trains at the time of arrival and before departures at railway stations should be ensured and proper security of mosques, churches, imam barghas and madaris falling within railway jurisdiction should be ensured.

According to railway police officials, the number of plainclothesmen in each train was enhanced from six to 10.

Pilot engines were being run ahead of main trains in the affected areas to avert any untoward incident.

The PR police would regularly check patrolling being conducted by the railways gang men.

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2018