PESHAWAR: The provincial chapter of Tehreek Nafaz-i-Fiqa Jafria (TNFJ) has expressed dissatisfaction over the security measures taken by police for Muharram and demanded deployment of army in the most sensitive districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to ensure protection of mourner processions.

Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, TNFJ provincial general secretary Haider Jamil Alvi said that situation was precarious owing to possible sabotage acts in different districts. The government should avail the services of army for Muharram security, he added.

Mr Alvi said that government should take all possible precautionary measures for protection of mourner processions. “We demand deployment of army in the most sensitive areas like Peshawar, Kohat, Hangu, Parachinar and D.I. Khan for maintaining law and order during the Muharram,” he said.

Accompanied by TNFJ chairman Agha Abbas Kayani, provincial president Sardar Asghar Qazalbash, Kohat vice president Syed Ghazanfar Ali Shah and Peshawar president Sajid Hassan Qazalbash, he demanded enforcement of Anti-terrorism Act so that no one could violate law of the land.

Mr Alvi said that the issue should be resolved in consultation with Shia leaders otherwise they would take precautionary measures on their own. He also stressed the need for holding talks with Taliban for restoration of sustainable and durable peace. Regarding the issue of Balashkhel in Parachinar, the TNFJ leader said that the matter needed to be resolved peacefully. The high court had already given verdict in that regard but the local administration was creating hurdles in it, he alleged.

He said the issue of taking out mourner process ion in district Haripur should to also be addressed forthwith.

Mr Alvi said they were not in favour of closure of shopping markets and bazaars as they didn’t place any such demand before the administration. He demanded of the government to establish special cells at district level to resolve the issues and problems of mourners amicably. The cell should be linked with TNFJ constituted committees, he added.

Mr Alvi demanded uninterrupted supply of power, natural gas and other facilities during Muharram so that the participants of processions would not face any problems.