Pakistan Marks Ashura with Peaceful Processions Under Enhanced Security

Day of Ashura was celebrated across the country with religious devotion, respect and discipline, where lakhs of mourners participated in processions and mourning gatherings to pay tribute to the great sacrifice of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) and the martyrs of Karbala. Due to tight security arrangements made by the federal and provincial governments, the main processions of Ashura Muharram in all major cities reached their destinations peacefully and ended.

In Karachi, the largest main procession of Day of Ashura took out a traditional procession from Nishtar Park after the mourning gathering. Addressing the gathering, the scholars highlighted the spiritual, moral and historical importance of the Karbala incident and termed the sacrifice of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) as a symbol of truth, justice and resistance against injustice. Later, the processions of Shabiya Alam, Tabut and Zuljinah passed through their designated routes and reached Hussainiya Iranian Kharadar, where the main procession ended.

Arrangements were also made for the mourners along the procession routes, medical aid and other facilities, while police, Rangers, rescue agencies and volunteers played joint responsibilities to maintain security and traffic flow. According to officials, thousands of personnel were on security duty in Karachi and the procession was continuously monitored by a modern surveillance system.

The main procession, which started from the Mochi Gate inside Nisar Haveli in Lahore, reached Karbala Gamay Shah passing through historical routes. Additional personnel were deployed at sensitive locations in the city while the situation was continuously monitored from control rooms. Mourning gatherings and mourning processions were also completed in a peaceful atmosphere in various cities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Peshawar, Kohat, Bannu, Nowshera, Mansehra and Dera Ismail Khan.

The day of Ashura was also celebrated with great devotion in various districts of Sindh including Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Larkana, Khairpur, Nawabshah, Jacobabad, Badin and Rohri. The historic Naw Dhala Ta’ziyya procession of Rohri, which holds special significance due to its ancient tradition, reached its final destination after completing a journey of several hours where mourners paid their respects to the martyrs of Karbala.

The main processions in Multan, Faisalabad, Chiniot, Gujranwala, Jhang, Bahawalpur, Sargodha, Rajanpur, Lodhran, D.G. Khan, Vehari, Jhelum and other cities of Punjab also passed through their designated routes and concluded safely. Religious gatherings were also held in Gilgit, Skardu, Astore and other areas of Gilgit-Baltistan on the occasion of the day of Ashura, while mourners took out processions in various districts of Balochistan including Jaffarabad, Naseerabad and Khuzdar in memory of the martyrs of Karbala.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, while visiting the main procession in Karachi, reviewed the security arrangements and appreciated the efforts of the police, Rangers, administration and procession organizers. He said that maintaining law and order is the top priority of the government and for this purpose, all the relevant institutions played an effective role.

In Lahore, Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb visited the central control room of the Home Department and monitored the security situation across the province. She appreciated the professional performance of the law enforcement agencies and said that all the institutions played an important role in securing the gatherings of Ashura through a coordinated strategy. Provincial Information Minister Uzma Bukhari also said that full coordination was maintained between the peace committees, district administration and security agencies across Punjab, as a result of which all the processions concluded in a peaceful atmosphere.

In their speeches on the occasion of Ashura, scholars in different cities described the sacrifice of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) as a lasting message of unity, patience, tolerance and justice for the Muslim Ummah. The mourners paid tribute to the martyrs of Karbala and prayed that an atmosphere of peace, stability, religious harmony and brotherhood would always prevail in Pakistan. Due to effective arrangements made by security agencies across the country, the Ashura Muharram celebrations concluded in an overall peaceful manner.