Meeting chaired by Shahbaz surprised over lax security

LAHORE: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif opined during a meeting on Wednesday that serious negligence was shown in the security of the Sri Lankan cricket team and the Manawan Police Training Centre. The meeting expressed astonishment and regrets that despite clear evidences of negligence by delinquent officers/officials, no action had been taken against any person. Chaired by the chief minister, the meeting held at the Chief Minister抯 Secretariat was also attended by Senior Adviser Sardar Zulfiqar Khosa, Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan, Senator Pervez Rashid, Advisors Jehanzeb Burki, Saeed Mehdi, MPA Dr Saeed Elahi, Chief Secretary, Addl Chief Secretary, Inspector General Police and Home Secretary among other officers. The meeting observed that not only precious lives had been lost in the two incidents, particularly the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team but the image of Pakistan was also tarnished at the international level. The participants said that despite forewarnings from intelligence agencies, neither any official was deputed on the route of the guest team nor there was any arrangement of patrolling. Addressing the meeting, the CM said that given secret reports and clear threats of terrorism, the incidents of giving free hands to terrorists in Lahore constituted criminal negligence. He said not only security arrangements were ineffective but negligence was also shown in implementing the planning made for thwarting the untoward incident. He said the people of the Punjab facing terrorism were disappointed that after the lapse of one month, no action had been taken against the negligent persons. Although, it was impossible to eliminate terrorism, he said, people had the right to question why criminal negligence was shown by the government in checking such incidents. He said the evidences collected regarding the attack on the Sri Lankan team proved that if the officers concerned had performed their duties efficiently, the tragic incident could have been avoided. He said they had made foolproof security arrangements during the first phase of the Sri Lankan team抯 visit and a special committee headed by Law Minister Rana Sanaullah was constituted. But, he added, poor security arrangements were made during the second phase. He asked as to what could be more important than the security of the guest team. He said effective and better security arrangements would have to be made for curbing terrorism. Shahbaz announced a committee headed by Sardar Zulfiqar Khosa and including Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan, PMA Saeed Elahi, Advisers Saeed Mehdi, Jehanzeb Burki, chief secretary, home secretary and officials concerned. The committee will review the attacks on the Sri Lankan team and Manawan and submit its recommendations for making foolproof security arrangements. This committee will also submit its recommendations within seven days about equipping the police with modern weapons, skill and other necessary facilities. The committee will make recommendations about making close liaison with various agencies and improving their performance to foil any untoward incident. The chief minister took serious notice of the loss of precious lives due to kite flying and ordered the home secretary to ensure strict action against the persons violating the ban on kite flying. He said strict action would be taken against police officers in whose area kites were flown. He said only those families could realise sensitivity whose near and dear ones had lost their lives because of the use of chemical string in kite flying. He said an inquiry should be conducted that if one day ban was lifted for kite flying, then why steps were not taken to check the use of fatal string for protecting the precious lives. The adviser to chief minister addressing the meeting said the seriousness could be judged from the fact that police officers present at the meeting could not tell about the security arrangements before the two incidents of terrorism in Lahore.