Given the recent Anarkali bomb blast and a host of incidents of target killings in Lahore, it surely looks like a daunting challenge for the law-enforcement agencies, especially the local police, to make foolproof security arrangements for the 19-odd cricket matches to be held under the PSL 2022 tournament, starting February 10, at the Gaddafi Stadium.

There’s a sense of uncertainty in the air, even as the lovers of the game are upbeat about the event. The people are justified in doubting the security arrangements, especially considering that the law-enforcement agencies have been unable so far to track down the culprits of the Anarkali blast. Similarly, those who attacked MPA Bilal Yasin are also on the run, though police claim to have apprehended a few suspects. Sources say the mastermind of the attack has managed to leave the country. And, in the case of the crime reporter Zill-i-Husnain Shah, who was shot dead by masked assailants near the Lahore Press Club, the police have failed to arrest the man who shot the reporter from point-blank range. The police claim that they were very close to apprehending the culprits but the media reporting affected their operation by alerting the perpetrators. “Had the media not broken the news, the police would have arrested the culprits,” says a senior police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The officer rejects the notion that the masses are feeling insecure, particularly with regard to watching the PSL matches in the stadium. He says that it’s not just the police that should be held accountable when an untoward incident occurs, “It’s equally the responsibility of other law-enforcement agencies. The best results can only be achieved if all of them come together.”

Senior police officers and officials from different units of the Lahore Police, including the SSP, the CTO, the SDPOs, the SHOs, the Dolphin Squad, the Police Response Unit, and the Elite Force, are expected to oversee the security plan, patrol the city roads and ensure a smooth flow of traffic.

In the midst of it all, Lahore is set to host the PSL 2022 yet again. The police claim to have chalked out a comprehensive security plan for the city through the entire length of the tournament. As many as 10,000 personnel of Lahore police are being engaged. Snipers are to be posted on rooftops of several public buildings, to thwart any attempt to sabotage the event.

Furthermore, senior police officers and officials from different units of the Lahore Police, including the SSP, the CTO, the SDPOs, the SHOs, the Dolphin Squad, the Police Response Unit, and the Elite Force, are expected to oversee the security plan, patrol the city roads and also ensure a smooth flow of traffic. The city administration and police will have a full-dress rehearsal on February 6, following which the security plan shall be rolled out.

Talking to TNS, Capital City Police Officer Faiz Dev says: “The Lahore police are fully aware of the sensitivity of the situation. That is why we have chalked out a comprehensive foolproof security plan to ensure peaceful arrangement of the event.

“The government has decided that the players and PSL officials shall be granted the status of state guests.”

He says efforts have been made to not disrupt the routine activities. He says zero routes shall be provided to the teams to ensure security of both players and officials by containing traffic only during the movement of teams from their residential places to the stadium and back.

Dev says search-and-sweep operations are being carried out on a daily basis, especially around the Gaddafi Stadium. The officers concerned are directed to remain in touch with related departments, including the PCB and the district administration.

He says that round-the-clock monitoring of the team hotels, routes, matches and movement of players and citizens in and around the cricket stadium shall be carried out using CCTV cameras installed by the Safe City Authority. The concerned department has been directed to ensure that the CCTV cameras in the surroundings of the stadium are functional.

The CCPO says that three-tier security shall be provided to the citizens who will only be allowed to enter the stadium after having completed the thorough verification process and following the Covid-19 SOPs. Moreover, the police shall make sure that the SOPs are being implemented.

The writer is a senior journalist and can be reached at ahsanzia155@gmail.com