ORAKZAI AGENCY - Assistant Political Agent Orakzi Agency on Sunday urged upon both Shiite and Sunni communities to demonstrate unity among their ranks and foil the evil designs of miscreants’ elements in their respective areas during the upcoming days of Muharram.
He said this while addressing a meeting of the agency administration officers and Ulema in Lower Tehsil of Orakzai agency.
He said that it is the responsibility of the religious scholars to promote peace and harmony during the month of Muharram. He said that the holidays of Orakzi Levi forces would be cancelled and extra contingent of security forces would be called out to maintain law and order situation in the agency.
He added that this is the mission of the agency administration to improve the security of the agency and keep vigilant watch over miscreants elements aimed to avoid any untoward incident in the Orakzai Agency as well as southern parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Meanwhile, SP City Peshawar Asif Iqbal has stressed upon traders and clerics to cooperate in establishing interfaith harmony to avoid potential terrorist attacks.
He said that traders had voluntarily decided to keep their shops closed from 5th of Muharram in Qissa Khawani Bazaar to provide processions a clear path and assured the police of their support in this regard. A strict action will be taken against hotels that violate the decision, he warned.
He also said that additional police contingents will be deployed across Peshawar and the city will be sealed to facilitate the procession. Traffic from Qissa Khawani Bazaar will be diverted through alternate routes starting from the first day of Muharram.
In previous years, the standard practice had been to shut Qissa Khawani Bazaar for the three days before Ashura days. However, this year it has been increased to five days.
Similarly, stringent steps were taken in sensitive areas in southern districts of the province. The Bannu district administration has imposed a curfew in sensitive areas around Imambargahs.