Security breach: Terrorists in jail still able to make calls

Jail in-charge denies report, IG says the matter is under investigation.

LAHORE:

An intelligence agency recently intercepted a call, made to an alleged terrorist commander in Khyber Agency, by two men being held at Kot Lakhpat Jail.

The terrorists were identified, in the intelligence agency’s report, as Ibrahim Ilyas and Qari Waqas. They were part of a terrorist plan in 2008, which targeted the then president, General (retired) Pervez Musharraf. The two were shifted to Kot Lakhpat Jail from Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi two months ago because of security concerns.

The call raised concerns because four circulars have been sent to jail authorities by the Ministry of Interior and Home Department in this regard, this year alone. The ministry and the department, in these circulars, asked jail authorities to make sure that jammers were installed in all jails, particularly the areas where high-profile terrorists are kept, so they are not able to communicate with anyone outside.

(Read: Prison talk - Communication made easy)

According to the report, Waqas and Ilyas made a call to a man identified as Babar on October 21. The commander reportedly told them that suicide bombers had entered Lahore, “soon you will get good news”.

Following the call, security was put on high alert across the province.

Mustaq Awan, the jail superintendent, told The Express Tribune said that he was not aware of any such incident. He ruled out the possibility that the terrorists could have made that call. He said that Ilyas and Waqas were being held at a separate compound for high-profile terrorists. There are two mobile jammers installed in that area, he said, adding that a Home Department team regularly visited the jail to ensure that the jammers were working.

A copy of the report relating to recent conversation was also sent to the inspector general of police.

Kokab Nadeem Warraich, Inspector General of Prisons, confirmed that the call had been made. “The matter is being investigated and strict action will be taken against those who are found guilty,” he said.

Warraich said that investigators were trying to determine if a technical fault in the jammers had allowed the terrorists to make the call.

(Read: Jailed militants plotting crimes from their ‘cells’)

Published in The Express Tribune, November 4^th, 2011.