‘Govt was forewarned about possible attacks’

Spy agencies forewarned Punjab govt that shrines of Sufi saints in the province were vulnerable to attacks.

LAHORE:

The spy agencies had forewarned the Punjab government that the shrines of Sufi saints in different parts of the province were vulnerable to terrorist attacks, The Express Tribune has learnt.

Interestingly, a secret survey of the provincial government had also pointed to the lack of security at the shrines.

The Punjab home department had ordered the survey following a series of terrorist attacks on the shrines of Sufi saints in the country,  intelligence sources told The Express Tribune.

The survey – conducted by a provincial spy agency – had found no security at 261 out of 319 shrines. And the remaining 58 shrines had unsatisfactory security.

The agency had surveyed 22 shrines in Lahore region, 15 in Gujranwala, 22 in Sheikhupura, 85 in Rawalpindi, 25 in Multan, 30 in Bahawalpur, 33 in Sargodha and 21 shrines in Dera Ghazi Khan.

The survey was a part of the government efforts to form a comprehensive strategy to ensure fool-proof security
at the shrines which are prone to attacks due to the large number of devotees there.

Alarmed by the findings, the home department had ordered top police and administrative officials to personally visit the shrines and put in place strict security to avoid any terrorist attack there.

The attack at the Sakhi Sarwar shrine shows that police had ignored all forewarnings and clear instructions from the home department, sources told The Express Tribune.

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