264 worship places declared sensitive

Asharaf Javed and Jam Sajjad Hussain
LAHORE – At least 264 mosques and Imambargahs in the City were on Tuesday declared as sensitive as police finalised a comprehensive Ramazan plan to provide security to no less than 3,400 mosques and Imambargahs in the Punjab metropolis, police sources said.
The sources said that the police authorities have divided mosques and Imambargahs into three categories, i.e., A, B and C in order to ensure a fool-proof security to them. In the A-category, there are 264 mosques and Imambargahs, where police commandoes will be deployed to avoid any untoward incident. The armed patrols will also be available in the areas where the A-category places of worship are situated.
The high police officials on Tuesday told the lower officials to utilise all possible resources and capabilities to ensure law and order during the holy month. They directed all divisional SPs and SHOs to ensure special patrols in their respective areas half an hour before the Maghrib and Fajr prayers. The SPs and SHOs have also been asked to visit the mosques and Imambargahs in their respective areas to ensure that fool-proof security was in place. They have also been ordered not to depute any security guard without a proper verification.
The use of loudspeakers would not be allowed, except for the Taraveeh prayers, [Arabic] Khutba, Azan and prayers. The police officers have been ordered to launch a strict legal action in case any violations of the above orders were committed in their areas. The authorities have also been directed to set up parking lots at least one hundred meters from the sacred places and a security guard or police constable must be deputed there. No cars should be parked without proper checking, they have been told.
The policemen equipped with metal-detectors should also be deployed outside the mosques and Imambargahs, while walk-through gates should also be set up at the entry points to the mosques. A special monitoring cell would also be established to check security arrangements round-the-clock, police officials added.
Meanwhile, in order to review the law and order situation and security arrangements relating to the forthcoming holy month of Ramazan, a Punjab RPOs meeting was held at the Police Headquarters in Lahore on Tuesday. Inspector General of Police Javed Iqbal chaired it.
Additional Inspector General of Police (CTD) and Special Branch, Commandant of the Punjab Constabulary, all Regional Police Officers, the Capital City Police Officer (Lahore), the Faisalabad City Police Officer, the DIG/Establishment, AIGs of the Finance, Development & Vigilance wings of the Punjab police also attend it.
IG Javed Iqbal directed the senior police officers to ensure foolproof security arrangements for maintenance of law and order, especially at mosques during the Taraveeh congregations.
The top cop further directed them to personally supervise all the personnel deployed at special duties during the holy month of Ramadan. “Police force must remain high alert so that quick response could be ensured for dealing with any untoward incident,” the IGP said while concluding his address.