Staff Reporter
RAWALPINDI: As many as 6000 police personnel will perform security duties on 10 day of Muharram to ensure peace and safety for mourning processions in the garrison city as all police personnel to be deputy for the security job have gone through psychological test.
City Police Offcer (CPO) Israr Ahmed Khan Abbasi said this while briefing media persons at police lines on Yesterday. CPO asked the media persons that they did not need to pay attention on rumors and wrong information about security issues during Muharram and they need to contact him for verified information.
Disclosing the steps taken by the police for security during Muharram, the CPO noted that main processions and majalis were held on 7th and 10th day of Muharram in Rawalpindi. He added that 6, 100 police personnel would perform duties in the district on 10th day of Muharram and 6, 000 on 7th day of the month.
CPO Abbasi said that 316 mourning processions and 1, 766 majalis would be organized in the district from 1st day of Muharram to the 10th. There are 41 processions considered to be the most sensitive falling in A category, 63 in B category and 212 processions are in C category. As far the majalis area concerned, 209 fall in A category, 335 in B category, and 1, 212 fall in C category. As many as 46 mourning procession have obtained licensed and whereas 270 procession are traditional.
The CPO noted that members of National Volunteers Force would also perform duties during Muhammad days. He said that the police had give special training to Shaheen Force about how to carry out special checking’s, using metal detectors and circling the crime scenes. He said that the police would make footage of al mourning procession through drone cameras.
The district head of the police noted that they held various meetings with ulema of all sects before advent of Muharram and they had assured complete cooperation for maintaining peace during the holy month.
Responding to a question, the CPO said that administration of Madrassa Taleem ul Quran, put on fire on November 15, 2013 during Muharram, had given assurance to the police about their cooperation for peaceful Muharram.
The police were to hold a flag march on Saturday but put it off for Sunday due to unknown reason. In the flag march, the elite force and regular police show their muscles while marching on the road in vehicles and on motorcycles.