PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed on Tuesday directed police officials to enhance daily coordination with district administrations and peace committees at district level to prevent any unpleasant incident during Muharram.
He issued directions during a meeting of provincial peace committee members and noted religious scholars at the Central Police Office here, according to an official statement.
The police chief held detailed discussions with scholars from all schools of thought and members of peace committees regarding the maintenance of peace and order during Muharram, especially on Ashura.
He underscored the importance of maintaining close contact and unity among people of different schools of thought during the ten days of Muharram.
Meets peace committee members, religious scholars
Mr Hameed stated that police cannot achieve complete success against criminals without public cooperation, and that they all must work together to establish peace and order in society.
Members of the provincial peace committees assured the police of all possible cooperation in establishing peace on the occasion of Muharram. Delegation members suggested strict adherence to the timings of processions, placing a ban on the entry of unauthorized persons into the city, and maintaining close contact between police and local elders.
Meanwhile, the city police have chalked out a security plan to ensure peace in Muharram and would deploy 12,000 personnel.
A statement issued here said that personnel from city police, rapid response force, quick response force, ladies traffic police and bomb disposal unit would be deployed for security in Muharram.
It said that three layered security will be provided to all mourning processions while gun points would be set up at high rises along the procession routes. In addition to this, 1,000 traffic personnel would also be deployed to ensure smooth flow of traffic across the city.
Similarly, bomb disposal units and sniffer dogs would be deployed to sweep imambargahs, majalis and procession routes. Besides, plainclothes personnel have been deployed to sensitive locations and places of worship across the city.
In Haripur, police have deployed 1,649 personnel to ensure fool proof security of mourners during the Muharram across the district.
District Police Officer Haripur Shafiullah Khan Gandapur said a total of 65 licenced mourning processions would be taken out at different times and places throughout the district from 5th of Muharram to 28th of Safar. “Out of these processions, 23 have been declared most sensitive and 42 are sensitive,” he said.
About the Muharram majalis, the DPO said that a total of 190 majalis would be held in different villages and city areas of three tehsils out of which five were most sensitive, five sensitive and the rest “normal”.
The security plan for most sensitive, sensitive and normal processions and majalis has been chalked out accordingly. He said that a total of 1,410 foot constables, 143 head constables, 44 ASIs, 31 sub-inspectors, seven Inspectors, 10 DSPs, three superintendent of police and a DPO would remain deployed throughout the mourning processions.
In Dera Ismail Khan, religious leaders from both Sunni and Shia schools of thought assured the district administration of their full cooperation in maintaining peace and promoting brotherhood during Muharram.
They said this during an important meeting of religious leaders, community elders and administrative officials which was held on Tuesday to review arrangements for Muharram 2026 and promote inter-sect harmony in Dera Ismail Khan. The meeting was chaired by Assistant Commissioner of Dera Ismail Khan Dr Mohammad Hamid Siddiq.
Participants discussed measures to ensure the peaceful observance of Muharram, maintain law and order and strengthen mutual respect, religious tolerance and sectarian harmony.
Also, DIG Bannu Region Rab Nawaz Khan, along with DPO Bannu Yasir Afridi, religious scholars, business community and local elders participated in the video-link meeting with the IGP.
The meeting discussed the law and order situation during Muharram, promotion of inter-sect harmony, security arrangements and the role of public cooperation in maintaining peace.
Published in Dawn, June 17th, 2026