Bomb hoax: Police, hospitals admins on their toes
Security was tightened in public hospitals after intelligence intercepts.
ISLAMABAD:
Capital police and administrations of all public sector hospitals were on their toes late Thursday evening after intelligence agencies intercepted a threatening call. Bomb disposal squad and the police screened the hospitals multiple times before the threat proved to be a hoax by Friday evening.
Special check points were established on all roads leading to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), Polyclinic and Capital Hospital in Sector G-6. Police officials were also deployed along the boundary walls of the hospitals.
“The nature of the threat was not specific. It was an indication that public hospitals could be targeted,” said an official of police who requested anonymity.
The Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) and the Canine Unit of the police combed and screened the largest hospital of the capital, Pims, three times in 24 hours while Polyclinic was screened twice before a heavy deployment of police was made inside and outside the hospital.
Vehicles entering Pims were checked by the police and the people entering the two hospitals were screened by the security officials. However, the security was relaxed after Friday evening.
“Late afternoon and evening was the most crucial time, if there were a real threat it would have been executed then. The security was relaxed after evening and it was almost certain that the threat was a hoax,” said a police official.
Earlier, the intelligence agencies intercepted information that led them to believe that certain militant group could target some hospital or medical facility in the city in the next 24 hours. The threat was shared with the chief commissioner and the top cop of the city.
Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Bani Amin directed the police to tighten security of all public hospitals and medical facilities in the city.
“The police had to take it seriously since the information had come from the intelligence agencies and was based on intercepts,” said a police official who added the hospitals will be monitored for a few days by the police officials in plain clothes have been deployed there while most of the specially deployed security will be withdrawn after 24 hours.
A few months ago, the police and intelligence agencies had apprehended over 40 members of militant groups from the premises of Pims. They were suspected of planning to kill the President of Pakistan.
Since then, the hospital was already under continuous monitoring, said the police official.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 10th, 2011.
Capital police and administrations of all public sector hospitals were on their toes late Thursday evening after intelligence agencies intercepted a threatening call. Bomb disposal squad and the police screened the hospitals multiple times before the threat proved to be a hoax by Friday evening.
Special check points were established on all roads leading to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), Polyclinic and Capital Hospital in Sector G-6. Police officials were also deployed along the boundary walls of the hospitals.
“The nature of the threat was not specific. It was an indication that public hospitals could be targeted,” said an official of police who requested anonymity.
The Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) and the Canine Unit of the police combed and screened the largest hospital of the capital, Pims, three times in 24 hours while Polyclinic was screened twice before a heavy deployment of police was made inside and outside the hospital.
Vehicles entering Pims were checked by the police and the people entering the two hospitals were screened by the security officials. However, the security was relaxed after Friday evening.
“Late afternoon and evening was the most crucial time, if there were a real threat it would have been executed then. The security was relaxed after evening and it was almost certain that the threat was a hoax,” said a police official.
Earlier, the intelligence agencies intercepted information that led them to believe that certain militant group could target some hospital or medical facility in the city in the next 24 hours. The threat was shared with the chief commissioner and the top cop of the city.
Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Bani Amin directed the police to tighten security of all public hospitals and medical facilities in the city.
“The police had to take it seriously since the information had come from the intelligence agencies and was based on intercepts,” said a police official who added the hospitals will be monitored for a few days by the police officials in plain clothes have been deployed there while most of the specially deployed security will be withdrawn after 24 hours.
A few months ago, the police and intelligence agencies had apprehended over 40 members of militant groups from the premises of Pims. They were suspected of planning to kill the President of Pakistan.
Since then, the hospital was already under continuous monitoring, said the police official.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 10th, 2011.