PESHAWAR: Youm-i-Ashur was observed peacefully amid tight security in the provincial capital and other parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Friday.

In Peshawar, about 12 major processions emerged from different imambargahs of the city and peacefully concluded after passing through their traditional routes. The first procession of the day emerged from Imambargah Syed Ali Shah Rizvi located in Meena Bazaar area of the interior city at around 11am and the mourners walked through Pipal Mandi, Qissa Khwani and Jehangirpura to reach Mohallah Khudad.

Processions were also taken out from Alamdar Karbala Qissa Khwani, Akhundabad, Syed Alam Shah Jaferi, Malik Khan Rehman, Puran Wali, Garhi Syedabad Wadpaga Sharfi, Mirza Qasim Beg, Syed Haider Shah and Hussainabad.

CM praises police for maintaining law and order

Strict security arrangements were made to ensure safety of mourners and all the roads leading to the interior city where most of the processions were taken out were closed and a large number of police was deployed.

The police and volunteers were allowing those entering the procession routes after thorough search. Later in the evening, Majalis Sham-i-Ghariban were held at imambargahs to remember the martyrs of Karbala. Mobile phone services remained suspended in the provincial capital on the 9th and 10th of Muharram and were restored around 9pm after all the processions were over.

City police chief Qazi Jamilur Rehman supervised the security arrangements at the supreme command post.

Inspector General of Frontier Corps, North, Major General Waseem Ashraf also visited the supreme command post to review the security arrangements for Ashura processions across the city.

In a statement issued after conclusion of the processions, KP police chief Salahuddin Khan Mehsud thanked the police, army and civilian administration for ensuring peace during Muharram. He also appreciated the work of Rescue 1122, health and other departments during Muharram.

In a separate statement, Rescue 1122 said that they had deployed about 80 ambulances and 1,000 rescuers to provide treatment to the mourners throughout the province. Bilal Faizi, a spokesperson for Rescue 1122, said that they provided treatment to over 1,000 mourners throughout the province and only 66 of them were taken to hospitals.

Chief Minister Mehmood Khan in a statement praised the police and other law enforcement agencies for ensuring peace during Muharram.

In Parachinar, the headquarters of Kurram tribal district, Youm-i-Ashur was observed peacefully amid rain.

The main mourners’ procession was taken out from Markazi Imambargah. Despite overcast conditions, the mourners turned up in large numbers to join the processions taken out from various imambargahs in the city. The processions after passing through their traditional routes ended at the main imambargah.

Tight security arrangements were made by the administration and the Pakistan-Afghanistan border was closed on the occasion.

In Kohat, three processions of Alam, Tazia and Zuljinah were taken out separately from Rizvia, Qaumi and Said Habib imambargahs which merged at Milad Chowk and culminated at the shrine of Ghazi Said Haleem Baba on Friday.

Overall, 11 major mourning processions were taken out in Kohat and Hangu districts on Ashura amid tight security.

The processions were monitored through drone cameras and from the central control room by army and administration officials. Over 5,000 policemen, army and Frontier Constabulary personnel had been deployed for the safety of the mourners.

In Hangu, main processions were brought out from Pass Kallay, Ganjio Kallay, Saidano Kallay, Bahadar Kallay and Malikabad.

In Lakki Marwat, the 10th of Muharram was observed with religious reverence. A mourning procession was brought out from Mohallah Sayyedan. It was led by Syed Zahoor Abbas Shah.

Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2018