RAWALPINDI: Youm-e-Ali (AS) was observed in the district with religious spirit and reverence under tight security on Sunday.
Marking the occasion, Majalis-e-Aza was held and processions were taken. Section 144 was imposed in the city and pillion riding was banned due to security reasons. The processions were taken out from New Town, Waris Khan, City, Civil Lines, Cantt, Saddar, Kahuta, Gujar Khan, Murree, and Taxila circles. Rawalpindi City Police Officer (CPO) Hamayoun Bashir Tarar had ordered foolproof security for the processions, which were accompanied by policemen and officials of the other law-enforcement agencies.
Some 4,000 police personnel, including Elite Force, ladies police, special branch personnel, and volunteers were deployed in the district to guard 101 Majalis and 24 processions. The police personnel manned all Imambargahs in the garrison city. Unidentified persons were not allowed to enter the processions. The traffic police had imposed a complete ban on parking any vehicle or handcart on the routes of the processions and near the Imambarghas.
Rawalpindi was among the eight districts in Punjab that were declared sensitive with regards to Youm-e-Ali (AS). The district administration had also set up a control room to monitor the processions. The City Traffic Police had announced routes of the processions and alternate routes for the traffic. The traffic was diverted from Saddar, Mochi Bazaar, City Police Station, DAV College Chowk, Alam Khan Road, Imambargah Chowk, and Committee Chowk to accommodate and ensure the security of the processions.
The traffic wardens were directed to ensure parking at a distance of about 200 metres from the route of the procession and imambarghas. On Saturday night, the main Youm-e-Ali (AS) procession in the city was taken out from Mohanpura. Passing through the Kashmiri Bazar, Fawara Chowk, Iqbal Road, and Naya Mohalla, it culminated at Col Maqbool Hussain Imambargah at Sehr time on Sunday.
Other big processions were taken out from Darbar Sakhi Shah, Imambargah Fatmia, Markazi Imambargah Kosare Zainab, and Shah Chan Chiragh Dhoke Rata on Saturday and Sunday.
(Daily Times)
********