PESHAWAR: After declaring five major districts, including Peshawar, the most sensitive, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has tasked 36,000 police personnel with providing security to hundreds of processions in the province during Muharram.

Adviser to the chief minister on information Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani told a news conference here on Friday that five districts had been declared the most sensitive and two sensitive.

He said cellphone service would remain suspended in Peshawar and other sensitive districts on Muharram 9 and 10 (Oct 11 and Oct 12).

Mr. Ghani said attempts could be made to sabotage peaceful environment in the province in the sacred month of the Islamic calendar and therefore, law-enforcement agencies would remain vigilant.

Govt says cellphone service to remain suspended in sensitive areas

He said a ‘complete’ coordination existed among the law-enforcement agencies, while the intelligence-sharing mechanism among various security outfits was already in place.

The adviser said Peshawar, Dera Ismail Khan, Hangu, Kohat, Hangu and Tank were the most sensitive districts for Muharram and Haripur and Mansehra districts sensitive.

He said the army would remain on standby across the province.

Mr. Ghani said of a total of 429 Muharram processions to be taken across the province, 245 had been declared very sensitive and that the government would provide ‘foolproof’ security to processions to help people mark the month with religious fervour.

He said 1,386 majalis (congregations) would be held across the province during the first 10 days of Muharram.

The adviser said 12,000 police personnel had been deployed in Peshawar for the security of processions and imambargahs, while Muharram security tasks would be given to 4,500 policemen in Dera Ismail Khan, 3,400 in Hangu and 4,000 in Bannu.

He said the police would use drone cameras in congested localities of the provincial capital.

Mr. Ghani said on the directives of Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, the respective deputy commissioners and district police officers had held meetings with local notables and clerics and secured assurance of their cooperation for Muharram security.

He said 71 processions would be taken out in Peshawar and that the police had established five major command posts and installed 101 close-circuit TV cameras along the procession routes in the capital.

Meanwhile, the district administrations across the province have imposed Section 144 on a number of activities to ensure peace during the first 10 days of Muharram.

In the provincial capital, the district administration has banned the entry of Afghan refugees. Also the pillion riding, the use of tinted glass in vehicles, display of arms and misuse of loudspeakers have also been banned for the period.

The authorities have decided the hotels and inns located on Muharram procession routes will remain closed during the first 10 days of Muharram.

Published in Dawn October 8th, 2016