Pakistan

Over 100 processions declared sensitive in 3 districts: Manzoor

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The minister, however, informed at a press conference at Hyderabad Airport on Monday that the Home Department has deployed 80,000 policemen and 20,000 Rangers in addition to personnel of Frontier Constabulary and volunteers for Muharram security in Sindh.

The army had been put on alert and aerial surveillance through the helicopters would also be done, he added.

The minister informed that he was personally monitoring the Muharram security and had visited Sukkur and Khairpur before coming to Hyderabad. His final destination of his day-long visits to monitor security arrangements in Sindh would be Karachi, he told.

"Though the first 9 days of Muharram have passed peacefully but the next 24 hours are very crucial as far as security is concerned," he said. The minister said that they had intelligence reports as well as threats of attacks, however, he could not reveal them.

Our focus is to make the security at these places as impregnable as possible," he said and gave reference of the last month's sea view blast saying the police foiled a planned attack on Abdullah Shah Ghazi shrine.

According to the home minister, the police have been equipped with modern surveillance tools to help serve the security purpose. The minister recalled how the law and order situation improved after he assumed the charge.

"123 target killers, 59 extortionists and a number of men working for the banned outfits have been arrested," he told adding that some arrests had also been made in connection with Muharram.

Commissioner Hyderabad Division Ahmed Baksh Narejo, Deputy Commissioner Hyderabad Asif Memon, DIG Sanaullah Abbassi, SSP Asad Raza Shah and other officers were present on the occasion.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2011