PESHAWAR: Processions of 9th Muharram were taken out amid tight security and concluded peacefully after passing through their designated routes here on Tuesday.

The main procession of the day in Peshawar was taken out from Hussainia Hall Imambargah located on the Saddar Road at around 10:00am. It passed through Saddar Road, Green Chowk and Kali Bari to arrive at the Fawara Chowk where the mourners offered Zuhrain prayers. Later, the speakers gave speeches about the events of Karbala.

Strict security arrangements were made for protection of the procession and mourners. All the streets leading to the Saddar Road were closed with tents, barbed wire and concrete blocks. A large number of police personnel were deployed to ensure security of mourners who were allowed to enter the premises after thorough checking at designated places.

City police chief Mohammad Tahir Khan told mediapersons on this occasion that they had deployed at least 800 police personnel to secure the roads and streets leading to the Saddar Road on both sides. He said that they had cleared the whole area with the help of sniffer dogs and bomb disposal unit before start of the procession.

Two other processions of 9th Muharram were taken out from Imambargah Bibi Zikiri in Gunj and Imamia Colony, which peacefully culminated after passing through their designated routes. As many as 13 processions would be taken out after 10pm.

Also, 12 processions would be taken out on the Ashura day (today) in the provincial capital. Almost all the processions would be taken out in the interior city. The processions would start at 11:00am and continue till 4:30pm.

The first procession of Ashura day will emerge from Imambargah Agha Syed Ali Shah Rizvi from Mohallah Chirikoban near Muslim Meena Bazaar at around 11:00am.

The second procession would start from Imambargah Alamdar Karbala near Qissa Khawni Bazaar at around1:00pm; third procession from Imambargah Akhundabad at Mohallah Nau Bajauri on Church Road at around 2:00pm; fourth from Imambargah Syed Alam Shah Jafferi, Koochi Bazaar, at around 2:00pm; fifth procession from Imambargah Malik Khan Rehman, Mohallah Marvi Ha near Koochi Bazaar at around 3:00pm; sixth from Imambargah Pura Wali Badshah located at Jafferia Street at around 3:pm; seventh procession of the Ashura from Imambargah Sain Sohrab at Imamia Colony, Gulbahar, at around 3:00pm; while eighth procession will emerge from Imambargah Ghari Syed Abad Wadpaga Sharif.

Other processions would start from Imambargah Mirza QasimBaiglocatedatMohallah Jangi and Imambargah Mir Syed Haider Shah located Jehangirpura at around 4:00pm; 11th procession from Imambargah Hussainabad at around 3:30pm; and the 12th and last procession of the day will emerge from Imambargah Syed Mustafa Shah at around 4:30pm.

All the processions would conclude af ter passing through their designated routes.

The city police have made strict security arrangements for the processions and interior city has been sealed. All the major roads and lesser known streets connecting parts of the city with each other have been blocl(ed with tents, barbed wires and concrete blocks.

Over 7,000 police officials have been deployed to ensure Muharram security, while Pakistan Army and Frontier Corps personnel will remain on standby to help the city police in case of any emergency.

KP police chief Nasir Khan Durrani on Tuesday visited the supreme command post set up in Kohati area of Peshawar and Nowshera district to review the security arrangements.

Talking to mediapersons on this occasion, Mr Durrani said that command posts had been established in all the districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said that mourning processions would be taken out in 12 districts of the province, of which five districts including Peshawar, Hangu, Kohat, DI Khan and Tank had been declared `most sensitive`.

He said that foolproof security steps were being adopted and live electronic monitoring would be carried out of all the processions. He said that revolving cameras had also been installed on the police vehicles which would monitor all the routes of the processions.