PESHAWAR, Nov 24: Strict measures were taken to provide security to 9th Muharram processions that ended peacefully here on Saturday.    

The entire Saddar Bazaar was sealed and heavy contingents of police were deployed in different parts of Peshawar Cantonment to provide security to the main procession that was taken out from Imambargah Hussainia Hall on main Saddar Road.

Roads leading to Saddar Bazaar were blocked by placing barbed wire and cemented blocks. Police, security forces and volunteers of Imamia Students Organisation, Mukhtar Force and Hussainia Scouts remained alert to check all the participants of the procession.

Fakhr Alam Road was completely blocked and even pedestrians were not allowed to walk on it. Similarly, one lane of Khadim Hussain Road was blocked and motorists had to use Sir Syed Road from both sides.

Sher Shah Suri Road was also blocked at FC Headquarters Chowk and motorists had to turn towards Civil Quarters and Kohat Road to reach their destinations.

Police had also erected barricades on G.T. Road, Ring Road, Khyber Road and Hayat Avenue to check motorists. The public transport remained off the roads and people on Sher Shah Suri Road were seen marching towards their destinations.

According to police, checkpoints were set up at every entry and exit point connecting the main arteries.

The pedestrians were also checked to avert any untoward incident.

Security measures in the city areas remained intact where most of the traditional routes were guarded by police. People were not allow to enter the sensitive areas.

The main procession of 9th Muharram appeared from Hussainia Hall at about 9am. The mourners passing through Green Hotel Chowk reached Fawara Chowk, where they offered Zuhrain prayers.

On the occasion, known scholar Allama Zamin Abbas Zaidi recalled the sacrifices of Shuhada-i-Karbala and said that the fight of virtue and evil would continue till day of resurrection.

He said that the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain and his family members in Karbala was a light for the Muslims.

Allama Zamin said that it was duty of Muslim Ummah to follow into footprints of Shuhada-i-Karbala. He urged people to forge unity by holding fast the rope of Islam and following the teaching of the last Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) so that all the nefarious designs of non-Muslims could be foiled through a unified stand.

The religious scholar said that the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain and his family gave them a message of tolerance, forbearance, unity, self-control and a lesson to stand against all kinds of injustices.

He said that those creating hatred on basis of sects, language and regions were scared of the great sacrifices of the martyrs but they could not succeed in their evil designs.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Mohammad Akbar Khan Hoti and District Coordination Officer Mohammad Javed Marwat also visited different parts of Saddar and expressed satisfaction over the security arrangements.

The DCO told journalists that all possible measures had been adopted to secure lives of people. He said that the routes of procession had fully been protected.

The Hussainia Scouts also set up medical camps and provided water and tea to mourners at different spots. The procession ended peacefully.

Another procession appeared from Imambargah Sain Zareen on Technical College Road Gul Bahar and passed through G.T. Road.

Several other processions were taken out from Imambargah Bibi Sahiba Mohalla Kalghan, Imambargah Alamdar at Kocha Risaldar that returned to the same places after passing through traditional routes.

According to Muharram Committee, several processions will be taken out on 10th Muharram on Sunday from various Imambargahs in Peshawar.