Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has directed organisers of religious gatherings to immediately download and activate Quick Response coded panic buttons at 4,700 Imambargahs across the province, introducing the technology to Punjab’s Muharram security framework for the first time as part of a broader multi-layered security plan for the mourning period.
During a briefing on Muharram arrangements, officials informed the chief minister that the Quick Response coded panic button system has never previously been deployed in Punjab, and that once scanned, the code will instantly alert relevant security and administrative agencies to enable a rapid response at any of the participating venues. CM Maryam Nawaz directed authorities to ensure province-wide combing operations, real-time intelligence sharing between agencies, and strict enforcement of a three-tier security plan throughout the Muharram period. Officials briefed the chief minister that a total of 47,280 religious gatherings and processions are scheduled to take place across Punjab during Muharram, comprising 37,868 majalis and 9,412 processions, underscoring the sheer logistical scale that the province’s security apparatus must manage simultaneously across multiple cities and districts.
To meet that scale, 125,641 police personnel will perform security duties across the province, supplemented by 61 companies of the Pakistan Army and 76 companies of Rangers requisitioned specifically to reinforce security arrangements during the sensitive mourning period. An additional 30,445 trained volunteers will assist law enforcement agencies in maintaining law and order at gathering sites and along procession routes. The briefing also confirmed that the use of drones by unauthorised parties has been banned during Muharram, while the unlawful use of loudspeakers will not be permitted, reflecting standard precautionary measures aimed at preventing both security incidents and public disturbance during large religious gatherings.
On the welfare and monitoring side, the Punjab government will set up cold and sweetened drinking water stalls for mourners, while the Suthra Punjab Authority has been directed to ensure the use of fragrance along procession routes and at venues hosting religious gatherings. The Punjab Safe Cities Authority will conduct live digital monitoring of processions through 5,623 CCTV cameras activated across the province, supported by 1,040 body cameras and drones deployed for field surveillance, alongside more than 1,000 advanced 4G cameras installed at highly sensitive locations to provide continuous, high-resolution oversight of the most security-critical sites throughout the Muharram period.
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