Terror threat: Prisons in Balochistan put on high alert

Bolan Medical Complex evacuated; health dept urges security.

QUETTA:

The federal as well as Balochistan provincial government have put the prison authorities of all the major and sensitive prisons in Balochistan on high alert in the wake of threats by banned religious outfits.

Balochistan Acting Inspector-General (IG) of Prisons Shujah Kasi confirmed this while talking to The Express Tribune here on Monday.

“We have received instructions from the federal government and later on from the provincial home department to put all the sensitive prisons on high alert where important and dangerous criminals, belonging to banned religious outfits are detained,” the IG Prisons said.

He identified prisons located in Quetta, Machh, Gaddani, Khuzdar and Naushki as sensitive. He said the officials had been clearly instructed to remain present all the time within the premises of their respective prisons and not to leave the stations without prior permission.

The IG Prisons confirmed that the federal government issued the high alert warning following a major jailbreak in Bannu from where high-profile terrorists fled after hundreds of militants stormed the jail from several directions.

“The government does not want to have any such incident repeated in any part of Balochistan,” Shujah Kasi concluded.



A couple of days after horrific terrorist attacks on medical students and Bolan Medical Complex (BMC) in Quetta, the Balochistan health department also approached provincial home department on Monday for the security of doctors and other staff at state-run hospitals in Quetta.

Director General Health Services Dr. Naseer Baloch said this step was taken to avoid such incidents in the future. “Panic and fear still prevail. People feel unsafe. Security measures are desperately needed,” he added.

“There is a need to protect doctors, nurses and other medical staff who perform their duties after explosions. If they do not feel safe, it will be hard for them to do their duties,” the official said.

After the June 15 blasts and firing incidents, all patients of the BMC were shifted to the Provincial Sandeman Hospital and the BMC was evacuated on Monday as the patients were not willing to stay there given the risks to their lives.

He said we have learned that working staff at hospitals are vulnerable and face the direct threat though they are rendering humanitarian services to the ailing humanity.

“All chief medical officers had been directed to report to the Medical Superintendent (MS) of Civil Hospital on the day of blast; because there was no security arrangement. The fear was obvious because terrorists could have targeted civil hospital too,” Dr. Naseer Baloch added.

Dr. Naseer said: “We have requested the home department to install walk-through gates at the entrance of the government hospitals, including the nursing hostels; because it will be hard for them to perform their duties under these circumstances.

After attacks on students and the BMC, the provincial capital was in deep shock even on the third day. Sardar Bahadur Khan (SBK) Women’s University was closed for indefinite period on Monday.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 18^th, 2013.