Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar on Thursday directed law enforcement agencies to ensure foolproof security arrangements for Muharram, warning that any negligence or laxity in maintaining law and order during the holy month would not be tolerated.
Chairing a meeting at the Central Police Office (CPO) Karachi to review security arrangements for Muharram, he said maintaining peace and order across the province remained the Sindh government’s foremost priority.
Lanjar directed all districts, police ranges and zones to further strengthen their security plans, contingency measures and response capabilities. He stressed that special attention must be given to the security of sensitive processions, Majalis and other religious gatherings.
He also ordered the intensification of intelligence-based operations, search operations and combing activities to counter any potential threats in a timely manner. He also directed strict implementation of the code of conduct, security guidelines and directives issued by the Sindh Home Department, while emphasizing continuous engagement with peace committees, religious scholars, Zakireen and organizers of processions and Majalis.
Highlighting the need to curb hate speech and sectarian content, Lanjar instructed the Additional IG Special Branch and Additional IG Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) to ensure continuous monitoring of social media platforms, public gatherings and religious events. He ordered immediate legal action against individuals involved in spreading provocative, hateful or sectarian content, inciting violence or attempting to disrupt public order. He further directed that CCTV surveillance systems, command-and-control centres and emergency response units across the province remain fully operational to ensure prompt responses to any emergency situation.
Lanjar also instructed the Sindh IGP to utilize modern technology for monitoring major and sensitive Muharram processions. He sought comprehensive recommendations regarding the use of drones for surveillance of procession routes, sensitive locations and crowd management.
Briefing the meeting, IGP Javed Alam Odho said security arrangements, bomb disposal sweeps, snap checking and surveillance measures along procession and Majalis routes were being further enhanced. He added that coordination and information-sharing among Safe City systems, the CPO Monitoring System and district control rooms were being ensured for rapid response to any situation.
The IGP said the Sindh Police, other law enforcement agencies and intelligence organisations were working in close coordination to implement all security measures effectively. He added that reserve personnel, Quick Response Force units and emergency response plans had been kept fully operational to deal with any untoward incident. The additional IG Karachi informed the meeting that comprehensive security arrangements for Muharram had been finalised in the metropolis.
