Pakistan's long and painful encounter with sectarian violence is a reminder that security during Muharram cannot be treated as a routine administrative exercise. As the new Islamic year approaches and preparations for the mourning month intensify across the country, the state is right to place law-enforcement agencies on high alert. The deployment of police, Rangers and, where necessary, military personnel are essential safeguards against threats that have repeatedly targeted one of the most solemn periods in the Muslim calendar.

For much of the past four decades, terrorists have sought to exploit Muharram to sow fear and........

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