Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi on Saturday chaired a high-level meeting at the Central Police Office (CPO) Peshawar to review comprehensive security arrangements for Muharramul Haram. The meeting conducted a detailed assessment of the overall law and order situation, finalized the security plan, and evaluated preparedness measures throughout the province.
Chief Minister's Directives on Peace and Security
Addressing the participants, the Chief Minister emphasized that ensuring peace and safeguarding lives and property during the holy month remains the top priority of the provincial government. "We will utilise all available resources to maintain a peaceful and secure environment," he said, directing all concerned departments to extend full facilitation to police personnel performing Muharram security duties. He stressed the need for coordinated efforts among all law enforcement agencies to preempt any threats.
Deployment of 43,317 Police Personnel
Senior police officials gave a detailed briefing on pre-Muharram, Muharram, and post-Muharram security arrangements. According to the briefing, 43,317 police personnel will be deployed across the province for security duties. Comprehensive district-level security plans have been finalized, and the Provincial Command and Control Centre has been fully activated for real-time monitoring and coordination. Section 144 remains enforced in various districts, while continuous police patrolling, search-and-strike operations, and snap checking are underway.
Enhanced Surveillance and Monitoring
In Peshawar, the Safe City camera network will closely monitor Muharram processions and religious gatherings on Ashura. Security for religious scholars has been enhanced, and strict monitoring of social media platforms is being carried out to curb the dissemination of hate material and misinformation. The meeting was informed that out of 614 Imambargahs across the province, 127 have been categorised as highly sensitive, 262 as sensitive, and 225 as normal. Similarly, 907 Muharram processions are expected to be held province-wide, including 286 highly sensitive, 190 sensitive, and 431 normal.
Districts Declared Highly Sensitive
Eight districts have been declared highly sensitive and six districts sensitive for Muharram, for which special security arrangements have been put in place. Police authorities informed the meeting that modern technology and advanced security equipment will be fully utilised to strengthen security management and rapid response during the holy month. The meeting was attended by Provincial Minister for Information and Public Relations Shafi 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 police officials.
