Youm-i-Ashur is being observed throughout the country on Sunday with due solemnity and reverence to pay homage to the sacrifices of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) and his companions at Karbala.

Amid tight security, Ashura processions were carried out in major cities, including Rawalpindi, Lahore and Karachi. The processions were monitored through command and control centres culminated peacefully late in the evening.

Strict security measures were taken to ensure the safe passage of processions in the major cities. Mobile phone services had remained suspended for the third consecutive day as part of the security measures; however, they were re-opened late Sunday evening. Pilllion riding had been banned in a number of areas across the country.

Karachi's main Ashura procession route from Qada­mgah Maula Ali to Karbala Dadan Shah was sealed with barbed wires amid heavy deployment of police and Rangers personnel, Dawn reported on Sunday.

Earlier on in Karachi, the procession arrived at Tibet Centre in Saddar Town area where the afternoon prayers were offered. The procession finished at Hussainiya Imambargah in Kharadar shorlty after evening prayers, according to DawnNews.

Police had declared as highly-sensitive 20 majalis and 43 processions of Ashura day in Sindh. About 12,000 police personnel had been deployed in 12 districts of Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas ranges of police to provide security to mourners during the processions and majalis.

Processions were also taken out in Badin, Tharparkar, Sujawal, Thatta, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Tando Mohammad Khan.

In various towns including Tharparkar, Badin and Umerkot large numbers of Hindus also took part in the procession and provided water to the mourners.

Chief Minister Syed Murah Ali Shah visited Hyderabad on Sunday to review security arrangements which he said were ensured by Inspector General Police A.D. Khawaja and Sindh home minister.

Speaking to reporters, the chief minister apologised for keeping mobile service suspended on 8th of Muharram.

“We initially had decided to keep it suspended on central procession’s route but then there were some incidents and we shut down the networks on second thought," he said.

Director General of Pakistan Rangers Sindh Major General Muhammad Saeed visited the procession in Karachi where he expressed his satisfaction with the security arrangements.

Similarly, in Lahore, 12,000 policemen and other LEAs’ personnel were deployed for security as about 46 processions and over 300 majalis were held, DawnNews reported.

Large numbers of mourners participated in the procession carried out in Lahore, which had paused at Rang Mahal Chowk earlier in the day to offer afternoon prayers, according to DawnNews. Special commandos had been stationed on the roofs of houses along the route of the procession.

In Peshawar, the first procession was taken out from Imambargah Agha Syed Ali Shah, near Meena Bazaar, early in the afternoon.

The second procession was taken out from Imambargah Alamdar Karbala, Kocha Risaldar, Qissa Khawni Bazaar at around 1:00pm, the third from Imambargah Akhundabad, Mohallah Naubajauri, at around 2:00pm and the fourth from Syed Alam Shah Koochi Bazaar at the same time

Atleast 12 major Zuljinah processions were taken out in the provincial capital today and mostly took place in the interior city. In the evening, Sham-i-Ghariban majlis would be held.

The district administration has imposed Section 144 banning pillion riding and entry of Afghan refugees into the interior city and Cantt areas during the holy month of Muharram.

In Rawalpindi, 17 companies of the Army and two companies of the Rangers – each comprising 150 personnel – were deployed for security duty on Ashura. All shops and bazaars on the route of the procession were closed on Saturday evening.