KARACHI, Jan 27: The Sindh Police has received the sketch of the suicide bomber who attacked a luxury hotel in Islamabad on Friday. The bomber is suspected to be an Uzbek. The Sindh police was also ordered to be vigilant and look out for persons with similar features or a record of being involved in suspicious activities, senior officials in the Sindh Police told Dawn.

The officials said the Capital Police had shared its initial findings with the Sindh Police and sent the bomber’s sketch to Karachi. “We are circulating this sketch,” said a senior police official. The Sindh Police was assisting the Capital Police in the investigations, he added.

The Sindh Home Secretary, Brigadier Ghulam Mohammad Mohtaram, meanwhile on Saturday citing intelligence reports expressed apprehensions that terrorist elements may try to create disorder during Ashura. He said the 12,000 police and 4,900 rangers personnel deployed in the metropolis would ensure peace. The army was also on standby, he added.

Talking to newsmen, he said the initial probe into the Islamabad blast showed it had nothing do with Muharram. Later, he told Dawn that a large number of security officials in plainclothes had been deployed across the city. Besides, massive patrolling and random checking had been initiated to ensure security during Muharram, he said.

“Random checking will certainly put our people to inconvenience but we are doing everything for citizens’ safety,” said Mr Mohtaram.

DIG Operations Karachi Syed Mushtaq Shah presided over a meeting of security chiefs and representatives of luxury hotels in the city to review security arrangements during Muharram. The meeting was part of the Sindh Police’s response to the Friday’s suicide attack at a luxury hotel.

Mr Shah asked the hotel representatives to primarily ensure strict security at their property’s main entrances and keep all side-entrances closed. He said that besides private security guards, police personnel would be deployed at the main entrance of major hotels. He said round-the-clock monitoring through close-circuit cameras should also be ensured.

The meeting decided to keep special vigil on the hotels’ parking areas. He said parking on surrounding roads would not be allowed. It was decided at the meeting that the police and hotel security guards would jointly frisk people before letting them in.

The DIG Operations directed SSP Security to also furnish the sketches of the Islamabad suicide bomber to the managements of the posh hotels.