KARACHI: It is Muharram 9 and all the stakeholders, Sindh police, Rangers and the various scout groups, are on their toes since morning, especially at the entry points of the main procession routes lined with containers.
Although Supreme Council Member and Management Secretary of Abul Hassan Scouts, Syed Zafar Hussain Rizvi, relieved his junior scouts, he stayed on duty throughout the night.
“I slept here at our camp because I did not want to leave myself. But that is what I like to do to stay on top of things,” he told Dawn. About his Scouts group he said that they are a group of some 350 males and 150 females, who also include children.
“My own three sons, Aun, Haider and Moon, and daughter, Syeda Mahnoor Zehra and her toddler son, are on duty today and tomorrow,” he says while catching my expression on finding out about the toddler ‘on duty’. “Syed Mujtaba Ali is two-year-old and probably the youngest scout here. We also got a scout’s uniform like this stitched for him,” the grandfather pointed to his own sage green uniform.
Comprising all age groups, around 22 to 25 scout units perform duties at key Karachi locations and entry and exit points during majalis
“It is good to start early. We also started our Muharram scout duties when we were young, well, perhaps not so young. Of course, Mujtaba cannot do much but he will be taking in the sights and sounds for now,” he said.
Asked if it isn’t risky to be out and about at this time? Don’t they think that the children at least should be spared until they are older? What if… “What if what?” Zafar Hussain asked. “If anything were to happen, it will happen and if we meet our end this way, it will mean shahadat [martyrdom]. What better way to go? Shahadat is our virsa [legacy]. It has come to us through Imam Husain,” he stated.
At the major entry point, in the Khudadad Society office area, there are another two Supreme Council Members supervising things. Kamran Rizvi of Al Haider Scouts and Zia Abbas of Abul Qasim Scouts. It is explained by them that there are some 22 to 25 scout groups on duty during Muharram, and especially during Muharram 8, 9 and 10. The planning for scout movements, who work in coordination with the police, Rangers and other government departments, starts over a month in advance.
“There is the Scouts Rabta Council, which has a five-member Supreme Council that looks into civic issues, security issues, logistics, communication with police IGs, DIGs, the Commissioner, Rangers, ministers,” it is explained by Zia Abbas.
“And while doing so, they also look at the previous year’s problems, where we went wrong and how the negligence or mistakes can be prevented this time,” Ali Asghar Rizvi, operations in-charge with Jaffar Tayyar Scouts Group, cut in.
“There are also practice and training sessions, especially for our medical teams who are on standby at all the city’s major hospitals. They are ready for any emergency with medical supplies and blood,” he said, before hopping over to the other track of the main road to speak to the bomb disposal squad there.
At Numaish, there is Syed Ahmed Ali Shah with Al Haider Scouts, who said that this year, he also has his wife, Muskaan Shah, doing girl guide duty nearby. “Besides, I also have my nephews volunteering here,” he said, while explaining that they are mostly involved in facilitating traffic and pedestrians.
Group Scout Leader Nazar Abbas, of Abu Talib Scouts, at Soldier Bazaar No 3, said that scout groups on Muharram 8, 9 and 10 are like army commandos. “Unarmed, we march at the front of all Muharram processions, directly in line of all threats and dangers,” he said. “The police and Rangers are behind us,” he added, while frisking the people entering through the scaffolding dividers leading up to the metal detector gates.
Near him there are teenage scout brothers Mohammad Jon Abbas and Mohammad Aun Abbas doing the same with Mohammad Murtaza who is also quite young. “Not that young, we are Rovers,” Jon informed, pointing to their uniform badges. “We joined scouts when we were under 12. At the time we were handed our Shaheen badges. But after 12, we earned our Rover badges,” he said.
Listening to them, their leader Nazar Abbas smiled. “When I joined scouts, which was over 45 years ago, my seniors also gave me the Shaheen badge but they used to call me ‘Pappu’,” he smiled as the others had a difficult time suppressing their giggles.
Published in Dawn, June 26 , 2026
