Processions are being held across Pakistan on Thursday to mark the Chehlum of Imam Hussain.
They are being held in Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Islamabad and other, smaller cities. Security has been increased along procession routes.
Karachi:
Mobile services have been blocked along the procession routes in Karachi. Pillion riding has also been banned till 12am.
The pillion riding ban does not apply to women, children, the elderly, journalists and law enforcement officials.
The route of the main procession in Karachi has been secured with containers. The Bomb Disposal Squad is checking stores along the route for any explosive devices.
The streets and redundant tracks will be closed through barbed wires while proper lighting arrangements would be made along the route of procession. The procession will be monitored through safe city cameras, smart cars, surveillance and drone cameras and DG (Safe City) would supervise all this process.
Policemen would be deployed at roof tops of buildings while snipers would also take positions at various buildings. The staff of bomb disposal squad would also conduct complete search of the procession’s route through robots and other modern technology.
