HYDERABAD: Unprecedented arrangements have been made to ensure foolproof security to the shrine of Qalandar Lal Shahbaz in Sehwan and the thousands of devotees who will arrive from different parts of the country to pay their respects to the saint during the three days of the 765th Urs celebrations staring today (Monday).

The administration has been on their toes to preempt any possibility of the repeat of the suicide bomb blast at the shrine on Feb 16 this year in which over 80 devotees were killed and more than 300 were injured.

Close to 4,000 police personnel from different parts of the province including the personnel of special branch will assist Jamshoro police in making Sehwan secure during the Urs days.

Official sources said the town had been divided into eight sectors with each taking care of its own assigned area. Besides, a dual security layer had been put in place to physically check every devotee before he or she entered the shrine from two entrances, said the sources.

Pipes had been fixed at the outer entrance for the segregation of visitors where they would be subjected to physical searches before passing through walkthrough gates, said the sources.

DIG police Khadim Rind said: “All hotels and guesthouses are being checked on an hourly basis to keep an eye on suspicious people if there are any and entry registers are being monitored to note arrival and departure of guests.”

He said that an SSP, a superintendent of police and eight deputy superintendents of police from special branch had been posted in the district. Around 150 personnel including soldiers and officers of Rangers would also be assist police, he said.

Jamshoro SSP Tanvir Alam Odho said that in addition to 800 policemen of the Jamshoro district, 3,400 policemen had arrived from other districts. Around 500 special branch personnel would also be there, he said.

The administration and police have fixed pipes on a permanent basis following Feb 16 carnage to ensure that every visitor is bodily searched before he or she enters the shrine. Policewomen have also been deployed in addition to some female volunteers from the Auqaf department.

A handout issued by the information department said that aerial surveillance of the town would be ensured and over 200 close circuit television cameras and four drone cameras would be used for monitoring the town’s security.

It said that adequate arrangements had been made at Syed Abdullah Shah Medical Institute to meet any emergency. A heatstroke centre had been set up at the institute and ambulance and fire brigades had been arranged. Arrangements had been made to supply drinking water to devotees in view of increasing summer heat, it said.

The handout said the administration had asked the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company not to carry out loadshedding during the three days of Urs and also sought assistance from Edhi volunteers and other welfare organisations.

Published in Dawn, May 15th, 2017