Foolproof security for PSL matches

LAHORE: CCPO Additional IG Bilal Siddique has said Lahore Police have always played a pivotal role in promoting international sports and cultural activities in the country by providing foolproof security to these events.

"We are all set to provide complete protection to the visiting national and international players, officials as well as spectators of Pakistan Super League (PSL) T-20 cricket series with an even more elaborate and improved security plan than the previous ones," Bilal Siddique added.

Police have chalked out a comprehensive security plan for the 9 including the finale to be held in Lahore from February 26 till March 19 at Gaddafi Stadium. According to the security plan, more than eight thousand police personnel including senior officers and officials of different units of police including SsP, SDPOs, SHOs, Dolphin Squad, Police Response Unit and Elite Force would perform security, patrolling and traffic management duties during the matches to ensure foolproof security of the event along with smooth flow of traffic.

Lahore district administration and police would hold a full rehearsal of all the arrangements well before the start of the event. CCTV cameras of Punjab Safe Cities Authority and district administration at the routes around Gaddafi Stadium and parking areas would be fully operational during the PSL and security plan would be enforced in Lahore before February 26 and strict monitoring would be ensured, Bilal Siddique said.

He added that maximum efforts would be made to least disturb the routine activities of the citizens, traders and businessman during the matches as zero route would be provided to the teams to ensure their security by containing traffic only during the movements of teams from their residential places to the stadium and vice versa. Three layers of security would be provided to the citizens who would only be allowed to enter the stadium after a complete checking process.

Additional IG said police had earlier provided foolproof security to all the national and international sports events being held in the provincial metropolis and would further ensure complete implementation on SOPs adopted earlier regarding the security plan to conduct the matches of PSL-8 in a safe and peaceful atmosphere.

He said that round the clock monitoring of the residential places of teams, routes, matches and movements of players and citizens in and round the cricket stadium would be ensured through the CCTV cameras. He said that Dolphin Squad, Elite and Police Response Unit teams would continue their effective patrolling around the specific areas of the city.

Snipers would be deputed on the roof tops to keep an eye on all the movements during these matches. Search and sweep operations are being conducted on a daily basis in the city particularly around the cricket stadium and designated areas.