Sindh CM reviews security arrangements for Muharram

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Monday chaired a high-level meeting on law and order situation and reviewed security arrangements for Muharram.

He said the ulema of different school of thoughts had played a very constructive role in maintaining sectarian harmony among the people of the province, therefore there was no chance of any untoward incident during Muharram-ul-Harram. However, he said, his government was taking strict security measures and implementing code of conducts.

The meeting was attended by provincial ministers, Saeed Ghani and Syed Nasir Shah, CM’s Advisor Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Major (retd) Azam Suleman, Additional IG Special Branch Dr Waliullah Dal, Additional IG Karachi Police Dr Ameer Shaikh, Principal Secretary to CM Sohail Rajput, Home Secretary Kazi Kabir, Commissioner Karachi Sualeh Farooqui, Secretary Local Government Khalid Hyder Shah, DIGs of all the administrative divisions of the province and the commissioners were taken on the video call.

The home secretary briefed the meeting about code of conducts for all the religious and other organisations for maintaining law and order during Muharram-ul-Harram. At this the chief minister directed the district administration and law enforcement agencies to ensure peace, tranquility and inter-sect harmony.

Kazi Kabir said that all the DIGs had been directed to assess and provide adequate security to notables till Chehlum. He said that peace committee meetings were being held at all levels.

Dr Ameer Shaikh told the meeting that that there were 1,996 imambargahs in the province, of them 356 were in Karachi, 590 in Hyderabad, 118 in Mirpurkhas, 93 in Shaheed Benazirabad, 374 in Sukkur and 456 in Larakana. He said that there would be 3,513 processions of them 319 had been categorized as the most sensitive, 1,059 sensitive and 2,135 normal.

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The meeting was told that out of 786 mourning processions to be held across Sindh, 11 were the most sensitive, 312 sensitive and 463 normal.

To provide complete security to the Muharram processions 69,545 policemen would be deployed. The deployment of police in Karachi would be 17,558, in Hyderabad 16,816, in Mirpurkhas 2,237, Shaheed Benazirabad 9,280, Sukkur 8,253 and in Larkana 15,401. Apart from it the Rangers would deploy a force of around 7,000 men all over Sindh.

The police and different law enforcement agencies have established close coordination. For this purpose a control room has been set up in the Karachi for timely dissemination of information. A mechanism has been evolved to share intelligence reports, joint meeting of the stakeholders were in progress and joint intelligence based operations were being carried out and joint flag march would be held.

The meeting was told that the processions of 8th, 9th and 10th Muharram would be monitored through 184 CCTV cameras. 43 different spots of processions routes would also be monitored through 55 mobile cameras and 129 fixed cameras. The centralized command and control room has been established at Central Police Office and regional command center at Civic Center.

Murad Ali Shah directed Minister Local Government Saeed Ghani and concerned local bodies departments to repair patches of roads, where necessary, lifting of debris, solid waste and removal of other obstructions from the areas, which have been designated as routes of procession or majalis.

He ordered for general cleanliness, ensuring manhole covers and availability of fire tenders.

He also issued directive for removal of loose cables in coordination with the K-Electric, Hesco, Sessco, telephone companies and cable operators.

Under the code of conduct no criticism on any sect or sacred personalities would be allowed. Ban on purchase, sale and telecasting of hate/violent material has been imposed.

The police would record all speeches of prominent leading speakers. Restriction on hoisting of political, sectarian flags, banners at public places. There is complete ban on carrying weapons, while restricted use of loud speaker has been allowed.

The chief minister said that the districts of Shikarpur, Jacoabad and Larakan were sensitive, therefore strict security measures may be taken there. At this the DIGs of Larkana and Sukkur told the chief minister that security at all check posts located along with Sindh-Balochistan and Sindh-Punjab borders had been strengthened further to check movement of the people along and across the border.

The chief minister formed a committee comprising provincial ministers, Saeed Ghani, Syed Nasir Shah and Murtaza Wahab to hold meeting with ulemas for implementation of code of conducts.

“I would personally meet with ulemas of different sects and take them into confidence on the decisions taken for their security,” he concluded.