RAWALPINDI: The Chehlum of Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS) and his companions was observed on Friday amid tight security in and around the garrison city.

Three mourning processions were taken from Imambargah Aashiq Hussain (Teli Mohalla), Imambargah Hifazat Ali Shah and Imambargah Col. Maqbool Hussain.

Zuljanah processions from Imambargah Shaheedan-i-Karbala (Tyre Bazaar) and Mohallah Darbar Sakhi Shah Chan Charagh joined the main procession, which concluded at the historic central Imambargah.

Senior Tehreek Nafaze Fiqhe Jafariya (TNFJ) leaders remained with the procession until its end.

Tight security arrangements were made; no untoward situation reported

Mukhtar Students Organisation, Mukhtar Generation and Ibrahim Scouts served throughout the route. Mukhtar Force, Muharram Committee and local administration officials, along with heavy police contingents, accompanied the procession.

Thousands of people participated in the procession. The participants tied their heads with black bands inscribed with the names of martyrs of Karbala and mourners observed self-flagellation. Several thousand policemen and personnel of the law enforcement agencies had cordoned off the entire route of the procession since morning.

They had put barricades on the slip streets and roads along the route. Special police force, bomb disposal squad, Rescue 1122, ambulance squads of hospitals and technical sweeping personnel remained on high alert. Law enforcers patrolled the city. However, no untoward incident was reported from any part of the city.

In their sermons, religious scholars threw light on the significance of the supreme sacrifices rendered by ‘Shuda-i-Karbala’, resisting the forces of Yazeed. The scholars and Ulema cited portions from the addresses of Hazrat Bibi Zainab (SA), sister of Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS), that she had delivered in the court of Yazeed and elsewhere after Karbala tragedy.

They called upon the Ummah to follow the footprints of Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS) and inculcate the spirit of sacrifice for the glory of Islam, while commemorating the most tragic incident of Islamic history.

TNFJ chief Allama Agha Syed Hussain Muqaddasi, who led the procession, also held a press talk and said Hazarat Imam Hussain (AS) is not confined to any sect or faith.

“The government has banned travel on the Quetta-Taftan route for Ziyarat. We were the first to reject it and made it clear that we will not accept restrictions on Azadari or related matters.

This unjust treatment is unacceptable. The Quetta-Zahidan rail service should be started, and ferry service through the sea route should be initiated, he said. “We have been demanding this for more than ten years,” he said.

Allama Muqaddasi called the travel ban a sign of weakness.

“Such measures damage the honour of the country. With the extraordinary capabilities of our armed forces and security agencies, the ban cannot be justified,” he said.

He urged the government to tackle terrorists, not peaceful mourners.

Talking about the proposed amendments to the Anti-Terrorism Act passed by the National Assembly, he said that the problem in the country is not the absence of laws, but the lack of their implementation. He said that the National Action Plan is the key to eliminating terrorism.

He also condemned Israeli atrocities in Gaza and said the aggression continues and is spreading to other Muslim countries as part of the ‘Greater Israel plan’.

“Israel violates all international laws; its list of war crimes is long. Journalists are also being targeted to hide their war crimes while the Muslim Ummah remains silent,” he said.

Allama Muqaddasi paid tribute to the security forces serving during Arbaeen and praised the unity of all schools of thought. At Fowara Chowk, the procession transformed into a Majlis where Allama Qamar Zaidi highlighted Imam Hussain’s unmatched sacrifice and described the hardships of the Prophet’s family returning from Syria to Karbala and Madina. Following this, Zanjeer Zani and matam took place.

Published in Dawn, August 16th, 2025