KARACHI: Tens of thousands of devotees of Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS) attended the city’s main Ashura procession that culminated peacefully amid tight security arrangements on Tuesday evening.
The procession began in the morning at Nishtar Park after a Majlis that was the addressed by Allama Shahenshah Hussain Naqvi and ended at the Hussainia Iranian Imambargah in Kharadar just after dusk.
As many as 12,000 policemen, besides personnel of Sindh Rangers and other law enforcement agencies, were deployed to provide security to the procession.
The devotees offered Namaz-e-Zuhrain in congregation near the Tibet Centre, amid soaring temperatures.
On the occasion, religious scholars shed light on various aspects of the tragic incidents of Karbala, urging Muslims to follow the path of Hazrat Imam Hussain.
The authorities suspended cellular phone service in an effort to protect the Muharram processions in the city from any untoward incident.
Internet services also remained suspended in areas along the route of the main procession.
Mourners carried black flags and banners inscribed with religious statements as devotional poems were relayed from stalls set up along the route. The mourners continued beating their chests as they paid rich tribute to Imam Hussain and his loyal companions for rendering the ultimate sacrifice for the noble cause of restoring the true Islamic values, and justice.
The Alam procession reached Kharadar, following its traditional route that passed through the Sir Shahnawaz Bhutto Road, MA Jinnah Road, Mansfield Street, and Preedy Street, then again from MA Jinnah Road, Nishtar Road, Old Napier Road, and ending at Hussainia Iranian Imambargah.
Anti-drone jammers were also deployed as the Sindh government had banned using heli-cams for video recording, in the interest of safety and security of the central procession.
Roads and streets along the procession’s route were sealed by placing shipping containers and other barricades.
All link roads were sealed and commercial areas closed. Snipers from the Special Security Unit were deployed on the buildings along the route as well.
As many as 1000 traffic police officers and jawans were deployed to manage the traffic on the main route and the alternative routes arranged for the Muharram procession.
After the procession ended, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Administrator Karachi Murtaza Wahab and Additional Inspector-General of Police Javed Alam Odho appreciated the law enforcement agencies for adequately maintaining law and order during the first 10 days of the month of Muharram.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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