LARKANA: The stage is set at Garhi Khuda Bakhsh Bhutto to observe the 17th death anniversary of former prime minister and PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto amidst extensive security measures on Dec 27 (today).

People in caravans started pouring in from different parts of the country. A big pandal was established at the venue where a 60-feet-big stage was built and different welcome camps were set up to help accommodate the party activists and lovers of the Bhuttos.

Such camps were also established in Larkana city where party songs were being played while tricolour flags were hoisted and banners, posters and portraits of PPP leaders displayed en route to Naudero and at the venue.

Naseer Khan of the PPP human rights wing from Lahore lit candles near the Bhuttos Mausoleum to pay respect to the struggle and sacrifices of Benazir Bhutto.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, President Asif Ali Zardari, Sanam Bhutto, MNA Aseffa Bhutto Zardari, Ms Faryal Talpur, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, KPK Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, Punjab Governor Saleem Haider and a host of other leaders have arrived in Naudero.

The day will dawn with Quran khwani at the mausoleum followed by a mushaira to be held under the auspices of the Peoples Youth Wing where poets would pay homage to the former prime minister.

To provide security to the gathering, foolproof security measures were taken by deploying 8,500 police officers and personnel, including 34 SSPs, 3 ASPs, 82 DSPs, along with 700 traffic and women police personnel to control the traffic flow on the day.

Different parking facilities were established with the identification of roads for the people coming from different directions to the venue. Keeping a vigil eye on the pandal, over 200 closed-circuit cameras and more than 80 walk-through gates were installed at selected points.

A special control room was established in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh Bhutto to monitor the situation.

Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar, IGP Ghulam Nabi Memon have already arrived in Larkana to review the security arrangements.

A meeting was held at the SSP Office where the additional IGP of the Special Branch, DIGs of Larkana and Sukkur ranges, along with the SSPs, briefed the home minister and IGP about the security measures.

Presiding over the meeting, the minister said that till further orders security would be on high alert in the province and no slackness would be tolerated.

He said the security to the people coming from different parts of the country to participate in the 17th death anniversary should be given priority.

He said encroachments from the routes leading to the Bhuttos Mausoleum should be cleared for uninterrupted traffic flow. The parking areas should be kept under watch, he said and asked people to immediately inform police if they spotted any suspected article, bag or anything.

Published in Dawn, December 27th, 2024