Islamabad, Pakistan, authorities will monitor Muharram gatherings and processions through drones, Safe City systems and the new Mehfooz Muharram app, the Interior Ministry said.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi chaired a security review meeting for the federal capital. The ministry said officials had completed geo-tagging of all imambargahs, majalis venues and procession routes.
The ministry said citizens could use the Mehfooz Muharram app to report suspicious activity, suspicious people or weak security arrangements. Officials also set up a central control room at Safe City.
Authorities will enforce a four-tier security cordon around Muharram gatherings and processions. Naqvi ordered strict checking at entry and exit points and directed officers to stay in the field.
The minister also ordered the implementation of a full traffic plan. He told officials to coordinate closely with religious scholars, enforce the code of conduct and take strict action against provocative material.
Islamabad’s chief commissioner and Islamabad Inspector General of Police Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi briefed Naqvi on the plan. They said authorities had completed the security audit of all religious gatherings and processions.
A Dawn report quoted an official as saying that Islamabad has assigned more than 15,000 security personnel for Muharram. The security plan will remain in place from the first of Muharram until the nineteenth of Safar.
The official said that Islamabad police, the Rangers, and other law enforcement teams will guard sensitive routes and venues across the capital. The city expects more than 170 processions and about 930 majalis during the period.
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Authorities have formed 10 vigilance teams to check duty performance and deployment. More than 3,000 CCTV cameras will monitor gatherings in real time, while over 500 traffic police personnel have been deployed.
Earlier, Naqvi and State Minister Tallal Chaudhry chaired a Paigham-i-Aman Committee meeting that called for action against sectarian incitement on social media
