LAHORE: Five Elite Force personnel have been stopped from performing their duties guarding VIPs in the city because they are believed to be close to religious extremists, The Express Tribune has learnt.
A day after Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer was shot dead by his own police guard, Elite Force Additional Inspector General Kalb-i-Abbas issued a notice titled ‘Scrutiny of Elite Force officials’ to all the security branches of the police in the district. The notice said that all personnel must be examined for any connection with extremist or fundamentalist outfits, in which case they would be declared unfit for duty.
“Five personnel have been stopped from performing their duties because of suspicion about their activities,” Superintendent of Police (Security) Faisal Rana told The Express Tribune. “They were not found fit to perform security duty with VIPs.”
Rana said that the investigation into the links and activities of the five men was continuing. “They will be dealt with accordingly,” he said.
The SP said that there was a short-term and a long-term review of the force going on. First, the records of all personnel were being given a quick scan, taking no more than a week. The five Elite Force personnel were flagged in this screening.
Second, there would be an ongoing detailed review of each official, including checks of their phone records and personal movement, if necessary. He said that officers would, in informal interactions with personnel, try to ascertain their mindset and whether they have extremist views.
Rana said that no Elite Force official had yet been called back from duty for a detailed security review, as this would create personnel shortages.
Mujahid Squad SP Muntazir Mehndi expressed ignorance about the matter. He said that the assassin was on temporary duty and had joined Salmaan Tasseer’s security detail from Islamabad. He said that personnel with permanent duties cannot be assigned different duties as the VIPs they guard don’t let them.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 7th, 2011.
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