PESHAWAR: A high-level meeting was held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry to review the arrangements for Muharram in the province.

The meeting was attended by IG Police Akhtar Hayat Khan, additional chief secretary home department, member Board of Revenue, relevant secretaries, commissioners, deputy commissioners, security officials, and other officers.

During the meeting, a detailed review of the security arrangements for Muharram was conducted. Additional Chief Secretary Mohammad Abid Majid conducted a comprehensive briefing, stating that control rooms would be established in both the police and home department to maintain strict vigilance on all activities during Muharram.

Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry ordered that all possible measures should be taken to maintain national unity and religious harmony during the holy month.

He emphasised the importance of strictly adhering to the designated routes and security SOPs for processions and majalis. The chief secretary assured full administrative support to the police for security arrangements.

The meeting was also attended by all divisional commissioners, regional police officers, deputy commissioners, and district police officers via video link. Officials from Pesco and Tesco were directed to ensure an uninterrupted power supply on the 9th and 10th of Muharram.

All the relevant district officers were instructed to remain in their districts during Muharram and maintain strict oversight on all matters.

Additionally, measures to curb hate speech on the social media were also discussed. The IG police assured the participants that security personnel would be deployed in all the districts, with stringent security arrangements in place for sensitive districts during Muharram.

Published in Dawn, June 28th, 2024