The City Police Officer (CPO) of Rawalpindi, Mohammad Faisal Rana, has undertaken certain measures in anticipation of any untoward incident occurring in the upcoming month of Muharram. The CPO has ordered police to arrest all suspects who had been charged for taking part in acts of sectarian violence during the past decade.
The police chief has also directed his subordinates to arrest those that had been booked under the National Action Plan previously.
The CPO has commanded that those suspects who were on the fourth schedule are made to ensure their daily attendance at relevant police stations.
To maintain the security situation, Rana has ordered police to obtain surety bonds from miscreants with their word that they would not create problems related to law and order. In case a fourth scheduler would fail to record their attendance, they would be persecuted under NAP.
With regards to ensuring peace and security in Muharram, the CPO said, “We have to maintain an enviable peace in Muharram at all costs; while maintaining the comprehensive writ of the law for which we will take whatever measures we have to take under the legal ambit to serve the requirements of our professional and operational service delivery.”
The CPO has also commanded his officers to register cases under the Anti Terrorism Act against those found guilty of any sort of criminal behaviour or sectarian misconduct during the next month.
In Pakistan, the Shia minority is frequently on the receiving ends of acts of hateful violence. During the month of Muharram, such acts increase drastically as the minority is vulnerable due to their huge presence on the streets and in their mosques.
Every year, there are calls by the citizenry to clamp down on sectarian militants before the month of Muharram, yet the country witnesses violence in one form or another.
The move is a welcome step as it will not only ensure the sanctity of Muharram and inter-sectarian harmony, but it will also provide much needed measures to safeguard a marginalized community and prevent further sectarian divergence in our polarized society.
The police chief has also directed his subordinates to arrest those that had been booked under the National Action Plan previously.
The CPO has commanded that those suspects who were on the fourth schedule are made to ensure their daily attendance at relevant police stations.
To maintain the security situation, Rana has ordered police to obtain surety bonds from miscreants with their word that they would not create problems related to law and order. In case a fourth scheduler would fail to record their attendance, they would be persecuted under NAP.
With regards to ensuring peace and security in Muharram, the CPO said, “We have to maintain an enviable peace in Muharram at all costs; while maintaining the comprehensive writ of the law for which we will take whatever measures we have to take under the legal ambit to serve the requirements of our professional and operational service delivery.”
The CPO has also commanded his officers to register cases under the Anti Terrorism Act against those found guilty of any sort of criminal behaviour or sectarian misconduct during the next month.
In Pakistan, the Shia minority is frequently on the receiving ends of acts of hateful violence. During the month of Muharram, such acts increase drastically as the minority is vulnerable due to their huge presence on the streets and in their mosques.
Every year, there are calls by the citizenry to clamp down on sectarian militants before the month of Muharram, yet the country witnesses violence in one form or another.
The move is a welcome step as it will not only ensure the sanctity of Muharram and inter-sectarian harmony, but it will also provide much needed measures to safeguard a marginalized community and prevent further sectarian divergence in our polarized society.