LAHORE, Jan 19: The provincial government on Saturday assigned the guard duty to army and Rangers, sparing police exclusively for protection of Youm-i-Ashur processions, main places of gatherings and imambargahs in Lahore and elsewhere in Punjab.

In Lahore, all entry points were cordoned off. There were inner and innermost cordons manned by armed policemen carrying metal detectors with directions not to show any leniency in checking people and not to take any chance.

The government has deployed 25,000 policemen in the city to protect Muharram processions.

Army and Rangers, which will guard key installations across Punjab, were headquartered at important points where they were required to act as a punch in case of any eventuality. Army was stationed at the Lahore Fort, district courts and the Civil Secretariat and rangers were protecting important installations like Wapda House. Army and rangers did however patrol various streets in the city to show their presence.

Organisers of Muharram processions were also engaged to recognise people at checkpoints where police were allowing entry only after frisking with metal detectors. Scanners were also installed at various points in the Walled City where the main Muharram procession is organised.

There will be an undeclared curfew along the route of the main Muharram procession, allowing entry only through some designated points to be heavily guarded by police. The security check would be conducted in layers of cordons. Security arrangements would remain intact till the return of mourners to their homes after the culmination of the procession on Sunday night.

The Home Department has established a central control room at the Civil Secretariat where senior officials were keeping a liaison with all law enforcement agencies, coordinating their efforts to ensure peace during Saturday night and Sunday. “We have made all possible security arrangements, but we also need cooperation of people to maintain peace. People should show tolerance, cooperate with us and most importantly keep their eyes open: they should inform us if they spot any suspicious person or thing,” Home Secretary Khusro Pervaiz told Dawn.