SUKKUR: Police, in coordination with the district intelligence agency, on Wednesday arrested more than 50 Afghan nationals in Sukkur under a security plan chalked out to implement the National Action Plan.

The security plan was chalked out to protect 38 Imambargahs, identified as ‘sensitive’, in the district and ensure safety and security of people before and during Juma prayers at these places, official in charge of the district intelligence bureau Manzoor Jamali said.

Around 9,900 students were enrolled at 226 religious seminaries in the district, according a survey conducted recently, he said, adding that 98 of them were unregistered institutions.

Sukkur SSP Tanveer Tunio said that flags of banned outfits were being removed and graffiti likely to foment sectarian strife was being erased across the district.

HYDERABAD: Hyderabad Deputy Inspector-General of Police Dr Sanaullah Abbasi has warned all banned outfits against organising any procession, saying that participants in such events would be apprehended.

“Monitoring of mosques and Imambargahs, specially during the Juma prayers, is being done in the wake of the Shikarpur carnage while police are giving top priority to the implementation of the National Action Plan,” he said while speaking to journalists at the local press club on Wednesday.

He said the Rangers and army were partners of police, who were in the front line.

The DIG said that about 50,000 students were studying in religious seminaries functioning within the Hyderabad police range. “We are not against these seminaries but want all of them to get registered,” he said.

Published in Dawn, February 19th, 2015

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