Christian Community All Set To Celebrate Christmas On Monday; 5000 Policemen To Be Deployed For Security

RAWALPINDI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Dec, 2023) The Christian community is all set to celebrate the grand festival of Christmas across Rawalpindi division and other parts of the country on Monday, December 25, in a befitting manner, while 5000 policemen will be deployed to ensure security.

In churches, special services would take place where prayers would be offered for peace, progress, and the prosperity of the country. The Christian community has finalized all the preparations to mark this festivity, and they were just giving last-minute touches to their shopping and decorating Christmas trees.

The festival of the Christian community would be marked through different activities ranging from big official gatherings to cake-cutting ceremonies, illuminating houses, and observing prayers in churches. Special cake-cutting ceremonies are being arranged at different departments to share the happiness of the festival with the Christian staff members.

The cake-cutting ceremonies were held here at Police Lines, WASA, FJWU, and in other departments in connection with Christmas celebrations. The participants congratulated the Christian community and felt pleasure in sharing their joy and cheerfulness. The main attractions of the Christmas festival include traditions like Christmas trees, Santa Claus, Christmas carols, and Christmas gifts, which add charm to the festivity.

All young and old have finalized shopping for themselves and their loved ones, while children and youngsters were more inclined towards decorating Christmas trees and buying Christmas gifts to show their love to their family and friends.

The main ritual of the Christmas celebration is the decoration of Christmas trees to welcome the arrival of Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas.

It has been observed that a number of shopping malls and hotels in Rawalpindi have installed decked Christmas trees to attract visitors, especially children. The Christmas trees are usually decked with different ornaments, including baubles, small bells painted gold or silver, stars of different shapes and sizes, pine cones, apples, candies, tinsel, and balloons made from glass, metal, wood, and ceramic.

A number of stalls had been set up in different localities where the majority of the Christian community resides. The stall owners displayed a variety of decorative ornaments as well as dresses of Santa Claus, which is a source of attraction for youngsters and children.

Different brands and eateries here are also offering good discounts on the occasion of Christmas to attract more customers. It is pertinent to mention here that Rawalpindi District Police have finalized comprehensive security arrangements on the eve of Christmas and a special deployment at churches and public places.

Rawalpindi District Police have devised a foolproof security plan to avoid any untoward situation on the eve of Christmas, and over 5000 police personnel will be deployed.

Under the security plan, all churches have been divided into three categories, and police personnel, including Elite Force commandos, will be deployed to ensure foolproof security. According to a police spokesman, no one would be allowed to park vehicles near churches. Walk-through gates would be installed at the entrances of the churches, and visitors would be checked through metal detectors.

The best possible security arrangements would be ensured to avoid any untoward incidents in the city, he said.

The security duty at public places, including parks, would be made more effective, he said, adding that security had also been tightened at the entry and exit points of the city, and special checking was ordered for this special occasion.

Over 2400 cops would be deployed on midnight service duty, while over 2600 police personnel would provide security on Christmas day.The spokesman said City Police Officer (CPO) Rawalpindi Syed Khalid Hamdani had directed the SPs, DSPs, and SHOs to ensure effective patrolling in their respective areas.

Plain-clothed and well-equipped policemen would perform duties near churches and public places, he added.

The security of the churches would be monitored through closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, while a control room has also been set up where all the departments concerned would work jointly to keep an eye on the security arrangements.

Sharpshooters would also be deployed on the rooftops of different buildings, he added.

The City Traffic Police (CTP) would make arrangements for parking vehicles for the visitors of the churches, and the parking lots would be set up nearly 200 feet away from the churches.

The police and other law enforcement agencies have divided 159 churches in the district into A, B, and C categories. Additional security personnel would be deployed at the churches falling in the A-category. City Traffic Police have also prepared a special traffic plan to be enforced on Christmas Day and Quaid-e-Azam's birth anniversary.

According to Chief Traffic Officer Rawalpindi Taimoor Khan, special squads have been formed to control one-wheeling.

A total of 281 traffic officials, including circle incharges, inspectors, traffic wardens, and traffic assistants, would be deployed to maintain the flow of traffic on city roads.

The CTP teams would perform duties in the vicinity of churches and celebration sites on Christmas day.Foolproof security would be ensured for the Christian community on Christmas, said Commissioner Rawalpindi Division Liaquat Ali Chatta.

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