Policeman linked with al Qaeda on VVIP duties

Intelligence reports say the security official served at the Prime Minister’s house and FIA office in Lahore.

LAHORE: A police official, having established links with the al Qaeda terror network, had been assigned security of VVIPs in Lahore many times in the past, The Express Tribune has learnt.

Sources said the police official had served at the Prime Minister House in Lahore and at the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Punjab’s office in Lahore.

Intelligence officials said that the police official was a resident of Rawalpindi district, but he managed to get a domicile of Lahore district and was recruited in the Punjab police on the basis of the forged domicile.

The police official had been assigned the security of Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, the then-chief minister of Punjab. However, he was suspended when spy agencies established his links with al Qaeda. He was also detained by security agencies for questioning.

Ironically, he not only got back his job after some time but was also assigned the security of the Prime Minister House in Lahore and the FIA Punjab office till December, last year.

Subsequently, the FIA banned his entry into its offices, but surprisingly the police brass is still reluctant to take action against the police official notwithstanding his established links with al Qaeda.

The FIA Punjab’s office in Lahore was twice targeted by terrorists in the past and officials keep receiving threats of more attacks.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 2^nd, 2011.