KARACHI: The Sindh government has allocated more than Rs100 million for security measures planned for the first 10 days of Muharram, after a deadly bomb attack on the central imambargah in Shikarpur district claimed 61 lives earlier this year, it emerged on Wednesday.

Officials said Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has approved the police plan that needed Rs102.4 million for the security measures across the province — with special consideration to the provincial capital Karachi.

In a report presented to the chief minister lately, the home ministry said that there were a total of 1,521 imambargahs in Sindh. During the 10 days of Muharram, 11,272 majalis will be held across the province. Of them, 1,229 have been declared ‘most sensitive’. Similarly, 384 of the 4,335 Matami processions and 188 of the 1,295 Tazia processions to be taken out in different parts of the province have been declared ‘most sensitive’.

Earlier on Jan 30, 2015, a bomb blast at the main imambargah in Shikarpur claimed the lives of 60 people, while dozens of others were left injured. It was the second major attack on an imambargah in the country since this year’s beginning; the first being an attack on Imambargah Aun Mohammad Rizvi in Rawalpindi’s Chatian Hatian area.

Home department officials said the police hierarchy decided to hire walkthrough gates and CCTV cameras for the 10 days of Muharram. For this purpose, they added, they had been given Rs10 million.

The officials said key expenditure in the police plan would be made on feeding of 64,414 police personnel (regular, reserves and under-training combined). They demanded a paltry amount of Rs100 on a daily basis to be given to each personnel on Muharram duty for 10 days, thus the total fund required swelled to Rs62.5 million. “Rs100 per day is hugely insufficient yet we have demanded only this amount given the financial constraints being faced by the government,” said a senior official.

Besides, the officials said, Rs24.9 million would be spent on petroleum, oil and lubricants (POL), while Rs5 million would be required for the purchase of tents, megaphones and other miscellaneous items.

Giving the break-up of the total deployment in the six ranges of the Sindh police, officials said a total of 27,942 personnel would be deployed in Karachi.

Of these personnel, 18,557 would be static force, 1,661 would be deployed at pickets, 5,724 on police vans and 2,000 as reserve police in the metropolis.

Similarly, 6,294 policemen would be deployed in Hyderabad range; followed by 2,276 in Mirpurkhas, 7,623 in Benazirabad, 9,488 in Sukkur and 10,791 policemen in Larkana range.

The officials said the deployment of force had been planned keeping in mind the threat perception in the six ranges.

In a report presented to the chief minister lately, the home ministry said that of the total 1,521 imambargahs in Sindh, most (470) were located in the Hyderabad range where 2,644 majalis, 1,775 Matami processions and 145 Tazia processions had been planned.In Karachi, there are 343 imambargahs where 4,005 majalis, 817 Matami and 419 Tazia processions have been granted.

Similarly, there are 118 imambargahs of Mirpurkhas where 561 majalis, 139 Matami and 24 Tazia processions will be held.

Some 2,904 majalis would be held in 317 imambargahs of the Sukkur range where 726 Matami and 642 Tazia processions would be taken out.

There are 181 imambargahs in Larkana where 639 majalis, 647 Matami and 15 Tazia processions would be held.

Benazirabad’s 92 imambargahs will organise 519 majalis. A total of 231 Matami and 50 Tazia processions will be taken out in the district.

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2015

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