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Home department’s security plan not followed
By Intikhab Hanif
LAHORE: Though government officials were reluctant to admit, it appears that the police did not follow the plan prepared by the home department for the security of the Sri Lankan team.
Security agencies had informed the Punjab police chief on January 22 that the Indian spy agency RAW could attack the Sri Lankan team in Lahore to avenge the Mumbai attack.
The home department had received a copy of the circular and immediately asked police to work out a plan keeping the information provided in the circular in mind to avert any mishap, Home Secretary Nadeem Hasan Asif told Dawn.
A RAW attack on the Sri Lankan team was one of several threats mentioned in the letter by security agencies, he said.
He said the department had indicated possible threats to the safety of the Sri Lankan team before its arrival here and provided guidelines to police on ways of protecting it.
It was yet to be seen whether the security arrangements matched the advice given by the department, Asif said.
He said he had made it clear in a meeting held on Jan 16 that the Test series should be taken as a rehearsal for the safety of the Champions Trophy likely to be held in Pakistan.
‘I had mentioned that the threat perception is quite different from the previous years, which requires maximum alert and state of preparedness for all concerned. I had also mentioned that the event should be used for image-building of Pakistan in general and of Punjab in particular,’ he said.
He said a high-level committee formed under Additional IG Salahuddin Niazi to probe into the incident had also been asked to check whether the security for the team matched the home department guidelines.
He admitted that luck played an important role in the safety of the Sri Lankan team, because a rocket fired on their bus missed the target and said that the assailants who were armed to the teeth had failed to achieve their objectives because of retaliation by police.
They had more ammunition and deadly weapons than held by the Mumbai assailants.
Police were providing a ‘box security ring’, covering the team’s bus from the front, rear, right and left. They retaliated after the terrorists hit the police vehicle.
The home secretary said the terrorists did not strike just to create a scare.
They were out to carry out large-scale killings like in Mumbai, but they could not implement their plan because of adequate security. ‘Our people protected the Sri Lankan team,’ he said.
Punjab Chief Secretary Naguibullah Malik said the Sri Lankan team was provided VVIP security, which was not given to the Pakistan team. The officials concerned properly rescued the Sri Lankans, took the injured to the hospital and provided transport for taking them to the airport from the Qadhafi Stadium.
When asked if a security lapse could have taken place because of the recent administrative reshuffle in Lahore police, he said it could not happen. ‘Transferred officials do not take away with them institutional memory, especially of this kind.’
http://www.dawn.net/wps/wcm/connect/dawn+content+library/dawn/news/pakistan/
By Intikhab Hanif
LAHORE: Though government officials were reluctant to admit, it appears that the police did not follow the plan prepared by the home department for the security of the Sri Lankan team.
Security agencies had informed the Punjab police chief on January 22 that the Indian spy agency RAW could attack the Sri Lankan team in Lahore to avenge the Mumbai attack.
The home department had received a copy of the circular and immediately asked police to work out a plan keeping the information provided in the circular in mind to avert any mishap, Home Secretary Nadeem Hasan Asif told Dawn.
A RAW attack on the Sri Lankan team was one of several threats mentioned in the letter by security agencies, he said.
He said the department had indicated possible threats to the safety of the Sri Lankan team before its arrival here and provided guidelines to police on ways of protecting it.
It was yet to be seen whether the security arrangements matched the advice given by the department, Asif said.
He said he had made it clear in a meeting held on Jan 16 that the Test series should be taken as a rehearsal for the safety of the Champions Trophy likely to be held in Pakistan.
‘I had mentioned that the threat perception is quite different from the previous years, which requires maximum alert and state of preparedness for all concerned. I had also mentioned that the event should be used for image-building of Pakistan in general and of Punjab in particular,’ he said.
He said a high-level committee formed under Additional IG Salahuddin Niazi to probe into the incident had also been asked to check whether the security for the team matched the home department guidelines.
He admitted that luck played an important role in the safety of the Sri Lankan team, because a rocket fired on their bus missed the target and said that the assailants who were armed to the teeth had failed to achieve their objectives because of retaliation by police.
They had more ammunition and deadly weapons than held by the Mumbai assailants.
Police were providing a ‘box security ring’, covering the team’s bus from the front, rear, right and left. They retaliated after the terrorists hit the police vehicle.
The home secretary said the terrorists did not strike just to create a scare.
They were out to carry out large-scale killings like in Mumbai, but they could not implement their plan because of adequate security. ‘Our people protected the Sri Lankan team,’ he said.
Punjab Chief Secretary Naguibullah Malik said the Sri Lankan team was provided VVIP security, which was not given to the Pakistan team. The officials concerned properly rescued the Sri Lankans, took the injured to the hospital and provided transport for taking them to the airport from the Qadhafi Stadium.
When asked if a security lapse could have taken place because of the recent administrative reshuffle in Lahore police, he said it could not happen. ‘Transferred officials do not take away with them institutional memory, especially of this kind.’
http://www.dawn.net/wps/wcm/connect/dawn+content+library/dawn/news/pakistan/
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