LAHORE - The provincial police on Wednesday unveiled the Ramazan security plan with massive deployment of police force at religious places, markets, and banks.
Punjab Police Inspector General Arif Nawaz Khan approved the security plan while presiding over a meeting at the central police office, a police spokesman said. As part of the security strategy, the police patrolling will also be intensified in addition to security searches at the entry and exit points of big cities.
Punjab Additional-IG Aamir Zulfiqar Khan, Faisal Shahkar, Shahid Hanif, DIG Ahmed Ishaq Jahangir, Afzal Mehmood Butt, and Abdul Karim were present in the conference while all the RPOs and DPOs participated in the parley through video link.
During the holy month, more than 90,000 police officers, personnel, private security guards and volunteers will perform security duties to guard religious places including 32,817 mosques and 2,758 Imambargahs. Police will use at least 21,410 metal detectors and 1,839 walkthrough gates for physical frisking.
While addressing police officers, IGP Arif Nawaz Khan said that all available resources should be utilized for provision of security to 35,575 mosques and Imambargahs along with 1858 Madni Dastar Khawan and Ramazan Bazaars across Punjab
“Combing and intelligence based operations should be carried out in all sensitive places of the province and also around the mosques and Imambargahs before the onset of Ramazanu -Mubarak,” the police chief told the officers.
He further directed that all the regional and district police officers to devise and implement best security plan to maintain peace in the respective districts. The traffic police department was directed to ensure smooth flow of traffic in the big cities during the holy month of Ramazan, especially before of Iftar times.
The police chief said that special attention should be given to the security of shopping centers, markets, and banks. The field officers will ensure snap-checking besides supervision of different locations, hotels, inns, and guesthouses in the big cities.
Additional-IG (Operations) Aamir Zulfiqar Khan informed the police chief that more than 90,000 police personnel, private guards, and volunteers would be deployed on security duties across the province. Also, police will guard at least 32,817 mosques and 2,758 Imambargahs.
The IGP directed the police to take into confidence the administrators of Masajid and Imambargahs while drafting security plan. The police patrolling units including Dolphin Squads and Quick Response Force would continue armed patrolling during prayers of Fajar, Magrib and Namaz-e -Traveeh during Ramazan.
The police were also asked to deploy snipers on the rooftop of high-rise structures in the sensitive areas. IGP Arif Nawaz said that banks should strictly follow the SOPs given by police and the armed patrolling should be enhanced around markets and banks. App reported that the Punjab government has constituted a seven-member committee to monitor and coordinate 31 Ramazan Bazaars, being set up during the holy month. Metropolitan Corporation office sources told APP on Wednesday that the committee would monitor the function of Ramazan Bazaars.
Chief Officer Metropolitan Corporation, Sardar Naseer Ahmed will be the convener of the committee.
The body will also ensure implementation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in the Ramazan bazaars, the sources said.
(The Nation)
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