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Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Heavy police force deployment for security during Muharram


By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Sindh Home Minister, Sohail Anwar Khan Siyal, has issued directives to police to ensure deployment of heavy police force under Muharram Contingency Plan in order to ensure extraordinary security measures in the Province. 

He issued these directives while reviewing Muharram Contingency Plan 2017. 

"Police emergency camps must be established along the route of main mourning processions so as to respond to rapidly in any unwanted situation", the Home Minister stressed. 

Sohail Siyal urged upon police officers to ensure, at police stations level, the proper identification of outsiders who are being accommodated at hotels, guests house and other temporary residents specially near and around bus terminals, railway stations, suburban and slums areas. 

"Besides audio visual recordings of main majalis and processions, steps be ensured for strict vigilance at high rise buildings along procession routes and parking areas; additionally extensive police patrolling in targeted/ identified sensitive areas, random snap checking and advance intelligence collection and its timely sharing", he further stressed.

He directed that all possible steps should also be taken for continuous watch on places of majalis and processions besides technical sweeping, scanning and clearance from bomb disposal squads. 

The Home Minister also instructed to adopt every step for removal of encroachments, abandoned or out of order vehicles near and around Majalis and route of processions besides deploying snipers at selected high rise buildings. 

According to the Muharram contingency plan, Police is ensuring strict security cover at over 1520 Imambarghas, about 12700 Majalis, 4150 mourning processions and 1400 Tazia processions in the Province. 

The security plan disclosed that specific instructions have been passed on to ensure removal of posters, banners and confiscation of hate material, surveillance and monitoring of activists of proscribed organizations borne on IVth schedule of ATA -1997, electronic and visual surveillance, use of sniffer dogs for explosives detection and sweeping of routes and venues by BDU especially under construction buildings, DB boxes of electricity and telephones, sewerage lines and manholes. 

The Home Minister directed to ensure timely coordination meetings with the religious leaders and Ulemas of different sects at range/zone, district and PS level for implementation of code of conduct for maintaining peace and harmony during Muharram.

Initiatives to regain hockey glories hailed

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Former International Hockey player, Mubashir Mukhtar, has appreciated the efforts of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) for revival of international hockey in Pakistan. 

 In this regard he referred to organizing of Nishan-e-Haider Hockey tournament and arrival of the Hall of Fame World Eleven in Pakistan besides holding of Pakistan Super Hockey League next year will lead to complete revival of international matches in the country. 

Talking to PNFS, Mubashir, who is now serving as Director Sports in a private engineering university, was confident that the decisions and steps being taken by the PHF President, Brig (Rtd) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar, and the Secretary General, Olympian Shahbaz Ahmed, will enable Pakistan to regain its lost stature in the world of hockey.

He observed that the successful talks held with the officials of PHF's Executive Committee in Dubai, have started yielding positive results and Nishan-e-Haider Hockey Tournament, in which eleven international goalkeepers will be participating, is the first step towards revival of international hockey in Pakistan. 

He said that it will be the first occasion when international hockey players will be participating in a country's domestic event. 

Similarly he expressed delight with the upcoming planned arrival of World Eleven in November this year will bring activity in the hitherto deserted grounds of Pakistan with Pakistan playing a three-match series with the World Eleven in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi. 

Thereafter in the next year holding of Pakistan Super Hockey League will not only help explore the new talent but also contribute to complete revival of international hockey in the country.