Sindh Provincial Minister for Home Affairs Zia Lanjar reviewed the security situation of the 9th Tazia procession in Rohri and later spoke to the media.
Sindh Assembly Speaker Owais Shah, Kumail Shah, and other leaders were also present with the provincial minister.
The minister said processions and majalis are being held across the province with peace and law and order maintained. He confirmed that in the Rohri procession, four mourners were martyred due to suffocation while 14 sustained minor injuries.
“Government writ is 100% in the entire Kacha area. There is no area where government writ does not exist,” he stated.
The minister acknowledged that criminal elements are present in the Kacha area, but operations against them are ongoing.
Under the government policy, he said that they are bringing a development package for the Kacha area which will bring improvement.
He further said that until we provide employment to the residents of Kacha, complete law and order cannot be established. The minister also noted that the Kacha area faces challenges as both children and adults lack education.
On the recovery of Priya Kumari, he said efforts are underway and the government stands shoulder to shoulder with the Hindu community. The dacoits suspected of keeping Priya Kumari have been killed, he confirmed.
Rejecting reports about police salaries, the minister said, the impression that Sindh Police personnel receive lower salaries than Punjab Police is incorrect.”
Sindh Provincial Minister for Home Affairs Zia Ul Hassan Lanjar on Thursday conducted an aerial survey of the security arrangements for 9th Muharram processions in Sukkur.
The minister directed the concerned police and administrative officers to ensure foolproof security measures for the protection of the mourners at all costs.
He said, “Monitoring, search operations, and snap checking along procession routes must be made more effective.” No negligence of any kind will be tolerated, he added.
He further instructed that all law enforcement agencies must perform their duties in complete coordination to maintain law and order during Muharram-ul-Haram.
The minister also stressed ensuring immediate response to handle any emergency situation.
20,181 police personnel guarded Muharram 9 processions
The main mourning procession of the 9th of Muharram-ul-Haram amidst stringent security arrangement emerged from Nishter Park here on Thursday.
Earlier, a Majlis was held at Nishtar Park, addressed by a prominent scholar Allama Syed Shahenshah Hussain Naqvi. At the conclusion of the Majlis, the main procession started its journey along its designated route.
The main mourning procession taken out in the port city, after passing through its traditional route concluded at the Husseiniya Irania Imambara Kharadar – district South Karachi.
Extraordinary and foolproof security arrangements have been made by the Sindh police along with Sindh Rangers for the central procession of the 9th of Muharram.
The main procession was monitored from a control rooms established at Soldier Bazar and Preedy police stations while security cameras are installed on the route of the central procession of 9th Muharram.
The procession route and surrounding roads have been sealed off with containers, while special surveillance arrangements have also been put in place on high-rise buildings.
The M.A. Jinnah Road is closed for traffic due to 9th Muharram-ul-Haram main procession and traffic is being routed to the alternative routes announced by the Karachi Traffic police to ensure smooth flow of traffic.
Citizens have been urged to adhere to the traffic plan during the procession and avoid unnecessary travel.
In Karachi, the traffic police devised a plan for alternative routes for commuters as some roads were to remain closed for the 9th and 10th Muharram processions.
According to a press release issued by the Karachi deputy inspector general’s (DIG) office, the city’s M.A. Jinnah Road will be closed to traffic from Gurumandir to Tower. It further said that the road from Jamshed Road to Gurumandir and Bahadur Yar Jang Road was to be closed from 10:30am to 1:30pm on Muharram 9.
Traffic police also shared in an X post alternative routes for commuters to reach their destinations.
Separately, Karachi police said in a statement that 20,181 police personnel, including 1,329 from traffic police, had been deployed across the city on Muharram 9.
Among them, 6,843 had been assigned security for the main procession, the statement said, adding that additional police force, reserve force personnel and snipers had also been deployed along the route of the central procession.