Lahore: Gulberg markets: CCTV cameras to be installed, monitoring room to be set up:

[Naveed Yaseen]

Liberty traders to beef up security
* Traders union planning to equip all private guards at market with modern weapons, wireless devices

By Afnan Khan

LAHORE: Seeing the usefulness of closed-circuit television cameras (CCTV) after the Liberty shootout on March 3, businessmen of Liberty Market have decided to install more such cameras and to set up a state-of-the-art monitoring room for their safety, Daily Times learnt on Sunday.

Gulberg Town administration was also seen encouraging the traders to make foolproof security arrangements, as it would help in curbing crime and would help government agencies. The private cameras installed by shop owners in the market recently provided details about the route taken by terrorists after the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team.

Security arrangements: Traders of the market were determined to set up 20 new CCTV cameras to ensure the safety of their employees and customers. The market’s traders’ union was planning to take precautionary measures to cope with incidents of crime or terrorism. In addition to installing 20 cameras at various important places of the market, the union would set up a monitoring room. The monitoring team would be formed using the services of police or government agencies.

Moreover, the union is also planning to equip all private guards at the market with modern weapons and wireless devices. The control room would then be able to issue instructions to all guards. The control room is likely to be set up at the building where traffic police operates a licencing office. Previously, the union had set up a similar control room after a bomb blast only two years back, but it closed down due to poor maintenance and heavy billing. Qaumi Tajir Ittehad Finance Secretary Babar Ali Bhatti said the union was concerned about the programme’s success. He said the control room set up two years back should have been maintained, as it could have provided important information to probe the Liberty terrorist attack. He said the union would leave no stone unturned in increasing the security at the market, adding that congestion and the magnitude of business activity rendered the market vulnerable to incidents of crime.

Gulberg Town Municipal Officer (TMO) Ali Abbas Bokhari said the town administration would offer full cooperation to the traders in improving security arrangements. He said he had pledged full cooperation and support in meetings with representatives of the market’s traders.

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