Pakistan observes Muharram amid high security

Pakistan Tuesday observed Muharram to pay homage to Imam Husain and other martyrs of Karbala amid strict security, a media report said.

The local administrations placed hospitals and ambulance services on high alert, Dawn online reported.

A suicide attack at the Wagah border Sunday claimed 60 lives following which Punjab Police conducted raids in several cities and arrested a number of suspects.

Police personnel and Rangers and Frontier Corps officers have been deployed in many cities on the routes of Muharram processions, while the army is on standby in Quetta, Karachi, Sukkur, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Parachinar, Kohat and Dera Ismail Khan, the report said.

Pillion-riding has been banned in many cities, including Karachi, where several cases of cracker and grenade attacks have been witnessed since the advent of Muharram.

The law enforcement agencies and the army will use helicopters in many cities to monitor security, the report added.