LAHORE: More than 83,000 police officers, personnel and community volunteers will be deployed to ensure the security of religious and public places during Ramazan. Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Abdul Kareem chaired a meeting to review the security arrangements across the province during the holy month of Ramazan at the Central Police Office. The meeting was told that a comprehensive security plan had been finalised for more than 32,000 mosques, over 2,000 imambargahs and more than 500 minority places of worship across Punjab, including Lahore. In the provincial capital Lahore, more than 18,000 police officers, personnel and community volunteers would be deployed for the security of mosques, imambargahs, bazaars and markets. IGP directed that patrolling around mosques, imambargahs and religious places should be significantly increased during the timings of Taraweeh, Iftar and Sehri.
A special patrolling squad comprising lady police personnel had also been formed for the protection of women visiting bazaars and markets for shopping. The IGP said that strict legal action would be taken against elements involved in profiteering and creating artificial price hikes during Ramazan. He also directed to ensure security arrangements at camp sites established for Ramazan Cards, and ordered adoption of a zero-tolerance policy against those demanding money from citizens withdrawing cash through the Nigehban Cards. He said that Punjab Police would ensure extraordinary security arrangements at all Ramazan and Sahulat Bazaars, special Dastarkhwans, bus terminals and railway stations. Search, sweep and combing operations along with preventive measures would also continue across the province, he added.
(Daily Dawn)
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