• “We are ready to provide complete protection to the English T-20 Squad and Pakistani players as well as spectators,” said CCPO Lahore.
• Lahore Police had chalked out a comprehensive security plan for all the matches of Pak-England T-20 cricket series, he said.
• “CCTV cameras around Gaddafi Stadium and parking areas have been fully operational whereas security plan SOPs and traffic advisory would be strictly enforced in letter and spirit,” he said.

LAHORE: Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Lahore Additional IG Ghulam Mahmood Dogar has said that Lahore Police were all set for the security of Pakistan versus England International T-20 Cricket Series staring from Wednesday at Qaddafi Stadium and would provide maximum security to all three scheduled T-20 matches.

“We are ready to provide complete protection to the English T-20 Squad and Pakistani players as well as spectators with even more elaborate and improved security plan than the previous ones,” Ghulam Mahmood Dogar added.

Lahore Police had chalked out a comprehensive security plan for all the matches of Pak-England T-20 cricket series, he said. According to the Security Plan, more than 8,000 police officers and officials of different units of Lahore 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.

“As many as 193 teams of Dolphin Squad and Police Response Unit (PRU) would be deputed on security and patrolling duties during T-20 matches. English T-20 Squad and officials have been given the status of state guests according to the government directions.

“CCTV cameras around Gaddafi Stadium and parking areas have been fully operational whereas security plan SOPs and traffic advisory would be strictly enforced in letter and spirit,” he said.

The CCPO Lahore further said 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 security would be provided to the citizens who would only be allowed to enter the stadium after complete checking process,” he said.

Ghulam Mahmood Dogar said that Lahore Police had earlier provided foolproof security to all the national and international sports and cultural events in the metropolis and would also ensure complete implementation on SOPs adopted earlier regarding security plan to conduct the matches in safe and peaceful atmosphere.

Dogar said that round the clock monitoring of the residential places of teams, routes, matches and movements of players and citizens in and round the stadium had been 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 have been deputed on the roof tops to keep an eye on all the movements during these matches. Search and sweep operations are being conducted on daily basis in the city particularly around the cricket stadium and designated areas,” he said.

CCPO Lahore has directed the concerned officers to remain in complete liaison and coordination with related departments including Punjab Safe Cities Authority, PCB, district administration, allied departments and law enforcement agencies to successfully implement on all the security arrangements.