Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Sohail Afridi on Saturday chaired a high-level meeting at the Central Police Office (CPO) in Peshawar to review security arrangements for Muharram-ul-Haram across the province. The meeting assessed the overall law and order situation and preparedness measures, with the chief minister directing all relevant authorities to ensure a peaceful and secure environment during the holy month.
Protection of Life and Property Top Priority
Mr Afridi stated that the protection of life and property during Muharram remains the provincial government’s top priority. He instructed officials to mobilise all available resources for effective security management and also stressed the need to facilitate police personnel deployed on security duties.
Deployment of 43,317 Police Personnel
Police officials briefed the meeting on pre-Muharram, Muharram, and post-Muharram security plans, revealing that 43,317 police personnel would be deployed across the province. A province-wide security framework has been finalised, with the Command and Control Centre activated to monitor operations in real time. Authorities said Section 144 was already enforced in several districts, while search operations, snap checking, and intensified patrols were ongoing.
Safe City Cameras and Social Media Monitoring
In Peshawar, Ashura processions and gatherings will be monitored through the Safe City camera system. Security for religious scholars has also been strengthened, and monitoring of social media platforms has been intensified to curb hate speech and misinformation.
Imambargahs and Processions Categorised
Officials informed the meeting that 127 of the province’s 614 Imambargahs had been declared highly sensitive, while 262 were categorised as sensitive and 225 as normal. Of the 907 processions expected across the province, 286 were classified as highly sensitive, 190 as sensitive, and 431 as normal. Eight districts have been declared highly sensitive and six sensitive for Muharram security, with special arrangements put in place accordingly. Authorities added that modern surveillance systems and advanced security equipment would be deployed to enhance monitoring and response capabilities.
Meeting Attendees
The meeting was attended by Provincial Minister for Information and Public Relations Shafee Jan, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Home Tariq Saeed, Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah, Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed, and other senior officials.
