Rehman Malik defends beefed-up security for PM

Interior minister tells the upper house that the Taliban have planned attacks against officials, national buildings.

ISLAMABAD:

Rehman Malik thanked the Taliban last year for resisting the urge to terrorise the nation during Ashura. It seems he is less confident now.

On Thursday the interior minister told the Senate that due to increased Taliban threats, security has been tightened at parliament house, prime minister’s house and the presidency, as well as other important buildings in Islamabad’s ‘red zone’.

Malik added that, following the arrest of a Taliban plant working as a plumber in the presidency, the safety of national buildings and high officials has been of greater concern.

“The Tehreek-e-Taliban is mischievous and we intercepted a number of conversations in this regard, in which they were planning to hit the capital’s important landmarks,” Malik said.

The interior minister was responding to queries and complaints made by a majority of senators on the floor regarding the strict measures taken by security forces in the capital on the prime minister’s appearance at the Supreme Court. The beefed-up security was a nuisance for local residents as well as members of parliament. Malik, though, denied that overly cautious measures were taken for the PM’s security.

“Prime Minister Gilani is the chief executive of the country and he had to go through the way being commonly used. That’s why we feared threats that someone could use the black coat to target him,” Malik said.

Malik also said that helicopters hovered above the Supreme Court in order to keep an eye on happenings on the ground. This displeased several senators.

Senators from Balochistan highlighted the alarming increases in the crime rate in their province, saying the interior minister should take some practical steps in this regard.

Farooq Naik said these comments were valuable and directed the leader of the house Nayyar Bukhari to ask the deputy chairman Senate Jan Jamali, who is also heading Senate’s special committee on Balochistan, to take up the issue properly with the concerned authorities.

Later, Senators Gulshan Saeed and Semeen Siddiqui lodged their protest with the chair and over the continuous absence of federal ministers during the proceedings of the Senate sessions.

Both the senators noted with extreme anger that federal ministers have no sense of responsibility, violating the rules of business of the Senate and the orders of the prime minister in this regard. Both the senators were later joined by other colleagues to highlight the terrible plight of gas and electricity load-shedding in the country and specifically its terrible effects on industry in Faisalabad, where around 500,000 people have lost their jobs due to closure of businesses.

Lawmakers insisted the government should evaluate their policies urgently to solve these issues. Chairman Naik directed the leader of the house to ensure the presence of the relevant ministers of petroleum and water and power on Tuesday.

Earlier ANP senators, joined by PPP senator Raza Rabbani, staged a walkout in protest against KESC’s performance which has resulted in the closure of businesses in Karachi. ANP senator Zahid Khan said that Asim Hussain, the minister for petroleum, had failed to resolve issues with KESC, despite his promises.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 20^th, 2012.