Youm-e-Ali observed under strict security

Posted on 9 months ago

Nasir Butt
LAHORE:Under the strict and unprecedented security arrangements, martyrdom day Hazrat Ali (RA) was observed with traditional religious solemnity and spirit on Friday in the provincial capital.
Mourners took out traditional procession from Mubarak Haveli inside Mochi gate in the morning but one hour late to the scheduled time after the clearance from security agencies. The procession ended in the evening at Karbala Gamay Shah after passing through its traditional route, Imambargah Ghulam Ali Shah, Chowk Nawab Sahab, Mochi gate, Lal Khoo, Fazal Haveli, Takia Nathay Shah, Koocha Shian, Chuhatta Mufti Baqar, Old Kotwali, Kashmiri Bazar, Dabbi Bazar, Sunehri masjid, Paniwala Talab, Chowk Nogaza, Chawk Tarannum cinema, Chowk Tibbi, Bazar Hakeeman, Chowk Novelty, Mohalla Jogian, Oonchi masjid and Bhaati gate.
To avert chances of any untoward incident, the District government had adopted strict security measures for the procession as large number of police and reserved police personnel were deployed on the route and other sensitive places. Besides, the policemen had taken positions at the rooftops of the buildings along the route and nobody was allowed to stand and watch from the roof tops and balconies. A undeclared Curfew was imposed on the route of the procession, while there was no entry for even the residents of the area from any small street. Cops were deployed at all small and big streets who were not allowing any person to enter into the procession accept the prescribed entry points.
The procession route was secured by policemen standing on the route area while snipers were seen standing on tall buildings for surveillance and quick action. All the connecting passageways were closed and policemen were deployed to ensure security. The cars were parked far away from the procession site. Metal detectors were placed with female police staff to check all the women attending the procession.
After the procession, to ensure safe dispersal of the crowd fresh batches of police officials were deployed at the scene. The crowd has dispersed peaceful after the event. The police had stayed on the scene hours later until the crowd had left the spot.
Special control rooms were established at different points monitor the situation, both manually and through close circuit cameras installed at sensitive points for the purpose. Scanners were erected at the entry points of the procession route while participants were subjected to scanning by metal detectors before they were allowed to join the procession.
More than ten thousand police officials were deployed on special duties around the city out of which three thousand were assigned duties along the procession routes. Policemen including snipers, response forces, police intelligence and other specials task forces were positioned at different places around the city to ensure the safe execution of procession.
Besides, to ward off any designs of the terrorists, the district administration had asked for moving the procession a bit fast at the later stages in the post afternoon session. The procession was led by leading Zakerin while different groups of Matam observers and Noha Khwans paid tributes to the Khalifah during the procession by conducting flagellation (matam) and reciting Nohas.
Volunteers and doctors with ambulances accompanying the procession provided first aid to the mourners at the spot and also shifted to hospitals those needed further treatment. The participants had Iftar at Karbala Gamay Shah after the culmination of the procession.

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