LAHORE: A regional police officers (RPO) conference declared 801 flash points sensitive and 288 most sensitive in 10 major cities of Punjab in the wake of Muharram.

Presided over by Punjab Police Inspector General (IG) Mushtaq Ahmad Sukhera at the Central Police Office on Saturday, the conference finalised comprehensive security arrangements, according to a handout.

The conference announced appointment of 135,098 officers for protection of 9,997 processions and 37,888 majalis and religious gatherings besides locations declared sensitive.

Declare 288 points most sensitive in 10 cities

All RPOs attended the conference besides other senior police officers and the Lahore capital city police officer (CCPO). Total deployment included 96,257 officers of police force, 5,524 reserve, 15,979 Police Qaumi Razakars, 7,176 special police, 543 gazetted officers, 1,445 inspectors, 4,517 sub-inspectors, 6,424 assistant sub-inspectors, 9,201 head constables and 74,127 constables, besides 4,650 Punjab Constabulary officials and 5,512 officials of training colleges and schools.

To meet any untoward situation during the holy month, 36 elite teams of IG’s reserve will remain on standby in four districts, including Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi, with 48 Punjab Constabulary platoons of the IG’s reserve on high alert.

It was also decided that 55 companies of army and 28 of Rangers will remain on standby. Leaves of all operational and security officials have been cancelled for Muharram. Special passes will be issued to all security personnel to prevent criminals from disguising themselves in police uniforms. Strict action will be taken against those displaying firearms, weapons and firing in the air. Security guards will be provided temporarily to personalities who had received threats.

The IG also directed officers to ensure installation of search lights and a public address system on security vehicles besides arranging for video recording of all processions with the cooperation of the counter-terrorism department and Special Branch. Installation of CCTV cameras, barbed wires, walkthrough gates, jammers, metal detectors at all entry and exit points of cities and processions was also finalised.

Monitoring of houses on processions routes was also decided in the meeting. The decision to monitor anti-state elements involved in walk chalking, publication of hate material, misuse of loudspeakers and ulemas banned and prohibited from addressing publicly was also made in the conference.

Published in Dawn, October 26th, 2014