DID Press: The day of Ashura was observed across Pakistan on Friday with religious processions and mourning gatherings held under strict security arrangements, as authorities deployed tens of thousands of police personnel and imposed communication restrictions in several cities.
In the province of Punjab, more than 2,700 mourning processions and over 2,500 religious gatherings were held. Authorities deployed over 10,000 police and traffic officers, while hundreds of ambulances, emergency motorcycles, fire and rescue vehicles, and more than 1,000 emergency response points were placed on standby.
In Lahore, over 40 processions and more than 200 gatherings took place. Rescue services deployed more than 1,300 personnel along with ambulances, motorcycles, and specialized emergency vehicles across the city.
In Rawalpindi, the central procession from Imam Bargah Ashiq Hussain in Tilli Mohalla was secured by more than 8,000 police personnel, including traffic officers and volunteers assisting with crowd management.
In the capital Islamabad, more than 4,000 police officers were deployed to secure religious sites, procession routes, and mosques during Friday prayers.
In Peshawar, over 10,000 security personnel were stationed across the city as 12 processions commenced simultaneously.
In Kohat, processions began from Bannu Bazaar and proceeded through traditional routes before merging at Milad Ground. More than 2,100 police officers were deployed, routes were sealed, and mobile phone services were suspended across the district.
In Karachi, more than 6,800 police personnel were assigned to secure the central procession, including traffic police and female officers.