LAHORE: With Lahore’s police chief admitting before the court on Monday that poor security arrangements resulted in last Thursday’s bombings at the Data Darbar, at least five police officers were suspended for their alleged negligence.
Speaking on Monday before the Chief Justice (CJ) of the Lahore High Court (LHC), who had taken suo motu notice of the incident, Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Muhammad Aslam Tareen said that in view of the security breach, he has suspended an SHO, the in-charge of the Data Darbar police post and two constables. The IG Punjab Tariq Saleem Dogar also suspended DSP Lower Mall Circle Ahmed Nawaz Shah.
Tareen told the court that among the suspended are SHO Lower Mall, Inspector Nazir Ahmed Opel, In charge Police Post Data Darbar, Sub-Inspector Muhammad Aslam, as well as Constables Nasir Ali and Tahir Mehmood, who were deployed at Gate No.5 of the shrine from where the attackers entered.
The LHC CJ directed the CCPO to nab the ‘actual culprits’ of the suicide attacks, and warned him against any kind of laxity in the effort. Interestingly, the CJ also ordered the CCPO to probe the possibility of the involvement of the shadowy US-based private security firm “Blackwater” (now known as Xe Services), pointing to certain media reports to this effect.
The CCPO filed a written report about the investigation of the matter. He said that a special investigation team had been constituted to trace the culprits. The Punjab government was also requested to constitute a joint investigating team in the matter, he added.
Tareen also informed the court that security had been tightened at Data Darbar and others shrines in the city. The CJ directed the CCPO to take on board the Forensic Science Laboratory, pointing out that there were 18 experts that had been trained in America who could assist the police in reaching the culprits.
The CJ adjourned hearing till July 9 and asked the CCPO to come up with a detailed report about the progress in investigations.
In the meantime, the Government of Punjab also sprung to life on Monday, constituting an inquiry committee to probe Data Darbar blasts as well as banning some 23 organisations with alleged links to militancy.
The committee, which will be headed by Additional IG Haji Habibur Rehman, is to submit its report to the Punjab chief minister within three days.
The Punjab home department on its part has said in a statement that it has banned 23 organisations that had been operating in the province under new names after being outlawed previously. Some 1,690 office bearers of these organisations appear on the 4th Schedule.
The statement said that the Sipah-e-Sahaba has been operating under a new name, Millat-e-Islamia Pakistan; Jaish-e-Muhammad under Khadam-ul-Islam; and Tehreek-e-Jafria Islami under Tehreek-e-Pakistan.
The statement, however, was explicit in its clarification that no such ban has been imposed on Jamat-ud-Dawa.
Monday also saw Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif visit Data Darbar, where he condemned the suicide bombings. Speaking to the media after his visit, Sharif said that the political leadership of the country should set aside their differences and come together to fight terrorism.
Meanwhile, police said that they have arrested 12 men suspected to be involved in May’s audacious attacks on Ahmedi places of worship in Lahore and the subsequent attack on Jinnah Hospital Lahore.
They were arrested in the suburbs of the eastern city and police also seized “huge quantity of explosive material and weapons from their custody”, deputy chief of police operations Rao Sardar told AFP.
Sardar did not disclose when the arrests were made, but said the weapons seized included rocket launchers, hand grenades and anti-aircraft guns.
Another senior police official, Zulfiqar Hameed, confirmed the arrests. (With additional reporting from wires)
Published in The Express Tribune, July 6th, 2010.
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