High-level meeting: Murad reviews civic/ security arrangements for PSL final match

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Friday said all the concerned agencies, institutions and people of Karachi have to work together to make the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in Karachi memorable and historic so that more international cricket events could be held in the city.

This he said while presiding over a high-level meeting to review security and civic arrangements for the PSL final match in Karachi.

The Sindh home minister, health minister, local government minister, sports minister, chief secretary, Director General Rangers, inspector general police, principal secretary to CM, commissioner Karachi, secretary health, secretary home, secretary sports, secretary LG, IGP Sindh, mayor Karachi, commissioner Karachi, additional IG Karachi, representatives of all the intelligence agencies, representatives of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), general manager national stadium and other concerned officials were also present on this occasion.

Read More: Third edition of PSL to be bigger and better: Najam Sethi

The chief minister giving guidelines said that there should be close coordination between stakeholders and all the security related departments and agencies.

“I have already issued directives for provision of civic facilities,” he said and emphasized on the need of public convenience, beautification and festivity kind of atmosphere in the city.

IG Police AD Khowaja told that he had sent a team to Lahore to observe the security arrangements for international cricket match played between Pakistan and Sri Lanka on October 29 last year.

“The same security model with some improvements is being implemented here,” he said.

Murad constituted different committees and assigned them different tasks.

The executive committee headed by the chief secretary would make over all monitoring. Intelligence/security committee and civic issues related committee were also formed. The security committee includes police, rangers, army and intelligence agencies’ officers. They would share their intelligence reports among themselves on daily basis.

The CM directed the civic agencies under the local government minister and Mayor Karachi Waseem Akhter to make arrangements for provision of lighting, drinking water, parking sites, cleanliness and also arrange medical facilities.

The meeting decided that aerial surveillance by helicopters will provided by the corps commander Karachi. Commandoes would be deployed around the stadium and the police would take control inside the stadium.

Murad Ali Shah directed the secretary health to talk to Aga Khan Hospital and Liaquat National Hospital for providing special health services, in case of any need.

Read More: CM Murad says will give Karachiites good news on KCR in March

He directed AD Khawaja to identify and declare alternate traffic routes for public convenience.

“We have to facilitate each and every person who wants to watch the match at stadium,” he said adding “I am sure there should be foolproof security arrangements in the entire city, particularly from the airport to hotels and to stadium.

“This extra ordinary security should not cause harassment among the citizens but let the citizens enjoy the event in a festive manner. It is their event and they [people of Karachi] would cooperate with the Law Enforcement Agencies,” he hoped.

The chief minister was told that there was capacity of 40,000 spectators in the stadium. It would be a big event in terms of public audience.

The LEAs would make full dress rehearsal on February 11 at 10 am. The CM decided to convene another meeting on February 14 to review security arrangements.