LAHORE: Capital City Police Officer Lahore Additional IG Ghulam Mahmood Dogar on Tuesday visited the international religious congregation of Raiwind, to review the security arrangements made by the Lahore police. DIG Operations Lahore Afzaal Ahmad Kausar, SSP Operations Sohaib Ashraf, SP Security Sayed Aziz, SPs of Sadar division, SP Traffic and other senior officers accompanied him.
The CCPO inspected main arena, temporary residential areas, parking stands, police pickets and duty points of the deployed police officers and officials. He also met with the organizers of congregation and discussed the security arrangements. Ghulam Mahmood Dogar said, at present, the most important assignment of Lahore police was to provide foolproof security to the Raiwind congregation and all out efforts had been made to provide maximum protection to the participants of this sacred event in coordination with different departments including city district government and organizers of the event. The CCPO briefed the organizers that Lahore police had chalked out a comprehensive security plan for the annual congregation (Tableeghi Ijtima) of Raiwind to be observed from 3rd November.
More than 2,500 police officers and officials had been deputed on security duty at Tableeghi Ijtima. SP Sadar Division Hamza Amanullah and SP Security Sayed Aziz briefed the CCPO Lahore about the security arrangements, whereas SP Traffic Asif Siddique informed him regarding the traffic arrangements. Ghulam Mahmood Dogar said that millions of believers and citizens not only from inside the country but also from abroad had been participating in the congregation. The participants would be allowed to enter the congregation only after their complete checking through three layer security mechanism of Lahore Police.
Officers and officials of Lahore police along with volunteers of management of Tableeghi Ijtima would ensure complete body search and checking of participants by metal detectors, electric barriers and walk-through gates. Police officials in plain dresses had also been deputed at the congregation to keep an eye on each and every movement and any possible suspects. Search and sweep operations had been conducted on regular basis in and around Raiwind congregation (Tableeghi Ijtima) areas to ensure safety of participants and foil nefarious designs of anti social elements, Dogar added. Data of citizens and passengers in the particular areas had been checked at houses, hotels, guest houses, bus stops and railway stations through geo-fencing, biometric verification and Hotel Eye app as well, he added. Checking of citizens and vehicles at Exit and Entrance points of the city had been enhanced through e-police gadgets, he said and added that parking arrangements had been made separately for the facilitation of participants of the congregation and more than 800 traffic officers and officials had been deputed, SP Traffic briefed. He also briefed that seven parking stands had been made at congregation with five breakdowns and 20 fork lifters also deputed for smooth flow of traffic. Police desks had also been setup for any guidance and help at different points of the Raiwind congregation, he added.