CCPO and commissioner review screening, CCTV and traffic plans for the two-phase congregation in November, one of the largest religious gatherings in the country
LAHORE: Lahore’s police chief and commissioner on Thursday reviewed security, traffic and administrative arrangements for the annual Raiwind Tablighi Ijtema, which will be held in two phases from November 6 to 8 and November 12 to 15 on the city’s southern outskirts.
Capital City Police Officer Bilal Siddique Kamyana and Commissioner Nauman Yousaf visited the Tablighi Markaz in Raiwind with Deputy Commissioner Captain (retd) Muhammad Ali Ijaz, DIG Operations Faisal Kamran, Chief Traffic Officer Abdul Rahim Shirazi and representatives of the Ijtema administration, including Ameer-e-Pindal Dr Nadeem Ashraf.
Screening and surveillance
Kamyana said foolproof security would be ensured for all participants and directed round-the-clock CCTV surveillance of every entry and exit point. No one would be allowed into the venue without proper security screening, he said.
He said close coordination between the district administration and other departments would be key to a peaceful congregation, and that a comprehensive traffic plan was being prepared to help participants and keep traffic moving across the city.
Why the stakes are high
The Raiwind Ijtema is one of the largest Muslim gatherings in the world, drawing hundreds of thousands of worshippers, with organisers putting attendance in the millions, from across Pakistan and abroad. Since 2011 it has been split into two phases to manage the crowds. Participants camp on a vast site for several days of sermons and prayers, ending with a closing supplication that draws the biggest crowds.
Security agencies have been on alert across Punjab this autumn, with the province imposing Section 144 in September as terror warnings mounted. Lahore police have recently run large security operations for the Eid Milad-un-Nabi processions and the October cricket tri-series.
Traffic is the other major challenge. The congregation sits along Raiwind Road, a key route into southern Lahore that already carries heavy commuter and goods traffic, and the area around Ijtema Chowk has a history of hazards, including a fatal electric pole collapse in August. Tens of thousands of vehicles and buses are expected over each phase.
Timing
The Ijtema falls in the middle of Lahore’s smog season, when visibility on roads leading to Raiwind can drop sharply in the early morning and late evening. The province has put local officials on smog watch, and the traffic plan will need to account for fog and poor air quality.
It also coincides with a four-week deadline that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif set police on Thursday to improve law and order, during which she asked officers to reach out personally to Tablighi gathering organisers.
The district administration and police are expected to issue the final security and traffic plans, including diversions and parking arrangements, ahead of the first phase on November 6.
Leave a Reply