Lahore police to provide foolproof security for Christmas

LAHORE: Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Zulfiqar Hameed on Sunday visited various churches in the city to review security arrangements for Christmas.

He checked the security of churches at Neela Gumbad, old Anarkali and Regal Chowk. Civil Lines superintendent of police (SP) retired Capt Dost Muhammad briefed the CCPO about the Christmas security plan.

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The CCPO also held meetings with bishops and reverends and took them into confidence and extended his felicitations for Christmas. He said walk-through gates would be installed at entry and exit points of all churches during the Christmas services, and the ceremonies monitored through CCTV cameras.

Hameed said that Christmas was round the corner and Lahore police were fully prepared to provide security to parks and other public places. “Shopping centres and market places are being monitored to ensure safety for the Christian community,” he said adding that police would remain on high alert particularly on Christmas eve.

The Bahawalnagar district police issued a security plan for Christmas under which over 700 police officials will be deputed for 27 events at 14 churches. Bahawalnagar district police officer (DPO) said that the plan had been constituted keeping in view religious freedom and a sense of security for the Christian community.

The station house officers had been directed to closely inspect hotels, restaurants, guest houses and other places in their jurisdiction where people from outside the city came and stayed. Additionally, elite force, eagle squad and other teams would patrol the area.

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Those entering churches would be checked at four points, walk-through gates and metal detectors would be installed by the special branch and civil defense. Additionally, the entry and exit points of the venues would be blocked by barbed wires and barriers and only one point opened.

In Okara the security of all 58 churches in the district has been beefed up, 11 among them have been declared sensitive and around 2,000 policemen with other security personnel would perform duty on this occasion.