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LAHORE, Jul 04 (APP):Over 147,000 police officers and personnel will be deployed across Punjab to ensure peaceful observance of 9th and 10th of Muharram, including more than 10,000 in Lahore.
A spokesperson for Punjab Police said on Friday that 4,418 processions and 6,667 majalis are scheduled across Punjab, including 125 processions and 605 in the provincial capital.
To support security efforts, more than 62,000 community volunteers will also be on duty during the two key days of Ashura.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Punjab, Dr Usman Anwar said that Section 144 is being strictly enforced. Activities such as aerial firing, display of weapons and spreading of hateful content are strictly prohibited, he added and said that multiple agencies including the CTD, Special Branch, Traffic Police, Dolphin Squad, and PERU are actively engaged in security operations. The IG also directed strict implementation of the Loudspeaker Act and an ongoing crackdown on hate speech on social media platforms.
Dr. Usman urged all religious communities to promote interfaith harmony, tolerance, and mutual respect, directing senior officers (RPOs, CPOs, and DPOs) to personally oversee field security operations on Youm-e-Ashura.
In the past 24 hours, Punjab Police registered 20 FIRs and arrested 22 individuals for uploading objectionable or hateful content online. Offending posts were mostly found on Facebook (22 cases), followed by WhatsApp (5) and other platforms (8). In the past five days, 103 cases have been registered and 119 arrests made, spokesperson added.
Earlier, on the directions of IG Punjab, flag marches were conducted in Lahore and various districts to boost public confidence and ensure preparedness.