KARACHI, April 10: Police, Rangers and other law enforcement agencies have been put on high-alert on the occasion of Eid Miladun Nabi on Monday and Tuesday and foolproof security arrangements have been made to maintain peace and tranquillity.

This was stated by Sindh Home Minister Rauf Siddiqi while speaking at a press conference at his office here on Monday.

Home Secretary Rasheed Alam and CCPO Karachi Niaz Ahmed Siddiqi were also present on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, the minister said that control rooms had been established in his office and offices of the IG Police, DG Rangers, home secretary, RPOs Hyderabad and Sukkur which would function round-the-clock to monitor law and order situation.

He said these control rooms would remain operational till midnight of the 12th of Rabiul Awwal.

The minister told journalists that police, Rangers and other law enforcing agencies were fully cooperating with the organisers of Eid Milad congregations and processions.

He said that instructions had already been issued to all the SHOs, SDPOs TPOs and RPOs in the province and the IGP, CCPO in Karachi regarding maintenance of law and order.

The minister made it clear that no one would be allowed show of weapons while motorcycles without silencers would be confiscated.

He requested the organisers and participants of congregations and processions to keep strict vigil around and in case of any suspicious activity, the same should be immediately communicated to Madadgar “15” or the nearest police station or to the Rangers.

He said that all the congregations and processions would be monitored through secret cameras as well as by plain cloth police and Rangers to check any suspects or suspicious activity. For this purpose additional force has been provided from all the police training centres, he added.

The minister said that in order to maintain foolproof security and other related arrangements, he had been requesting the organisers to provide him correct and complete information regarding their meetings and processions so as to ward off any chances of mismanagement or extraordinary situation.

In future, he said, it has been decided that organisers would have to provide such information 48 hours in advance so that the government could take required steps.

To a question as to what measures have been taken to check incidents like the one occurred at the Faizan-i-Madina on Sunday, in which 32 women and children lost their lives, the minister said that in addition to security personnel in uniform, additional plain cloth force from the police and Rangers would be accompanying the processions and also remain present at major congregations.

He said that the entire police force of Sindh and some 11,000 Rangers personnel had been deployed on security and vigilance duties.

Replying to another question, the home minister denied siege of the house of Baloch leader Akhtar Mengal and said that any MNA or MPA or any visitor could meet him without any obstruction.

The CCPO Karachi Niaz Ahmed Sidiqi, also present on the occasion, told newsmen that four persons had been arrested from the residence of Akhtar Mengal on the basis of an FIR registered.

However, when asked whether Mr Mengal would also be arrested, the CCPO said that investigations were under way and there had been no other arrest except for the four already made.

To a question, the home minister explained that there was police deployment everywhere in the city for crime control, and so was the deployment in the area also where Akhtar Mengal’s house was situated.

He also denied that water supply to the house and electricity had been cut off.

Meanwhile, the SHO of Darakhsan Police Station said that there was no blockade of the Mengal House.

He stated that the water, food supply and items of daily use etc were allowed into the leader’s residence.

The SHO of Darakshan Police Station, Ahsan Zulfiqar, said that an FIR was registered a couple of days ago regarding taking away and beating up and torturing of the personnel of sensitive agency.

He said that the police required the custody of all those who were involved in the incident. The SHO further stated that three of such persons had been handed over to the police. —APP