Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar speaks during a news conference in Islamabad. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
The meeting, which included Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar, security and intelligence officials as well as heads of various religious groups, discussed multiple security lapses that took place during clashes at the Ashura procession.
It was uncovered that connection to CCTV cameras in the specific area where the clash took place had been cut just prior to the chaos.
Express News correspondent Adnan Mukhtar reported that authorities expressed their suspicion of a planned attack based on various other factors involved.
They questioned how the mob succeeded in snatching guns from the police, and why the Regional Police Officer (RPO) Rawalpindi failed to counter with an effective response.
In addition, they decided to look further into a police Station House Officer (SHO) who happened to have taken leave on Friday.
Curfew to be lifted off Rawalpindi at 6:00am Monday morning
Rawalpindi District Coordination Officer Sajid Zafar announced that the curfew in Rawalpindi will be lifted off by 6:00am on Nov 18.
He said that Section 144 will remain in place and the army will stay on alert for any order from the Punjab government.
In a press conference earlier on Sunday evening, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had announced a temporary relief from the curfew for Rawalpindi for Sunday night, explaining that he would sit with the CM Punjab again at 11:00pm to review the situation and decide the next course of action.
Speaking after the meeting called to discuss the Rawalpindi tragedy, the minister said the government had been in contact with all religious groups over the issue.
Nisar pointed out the numerous arrests and arms hauls were completed by security personnel all over the country. He remarked that it was extremely unfortunate that an Ashura which otherwise turned out to be an exceptionally peaceful one thanks to the tireless efforts of intelligence and security personnel, was tainted by one incident.
"It is very sad to see that an event which had seen an exceptional amount of cooperative and coordinated effort towards peace all the way from K-P to Karachi, and which was largely successful, happened to be overshadowed by this incident," said Nisar.
He said the issue of violence was part of a larger problem in the country and had to be tackled with the bigger perspective.
"A judicial inquiry has been initiated, and that's all I want to say right now."
COMMENTS (34)
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@Ahmad Nasser: oye yaar stop with your KPK govt and PTI bashing. In Punjab not only Jail, GHQ is not safe, Sri-Lankan team is not safe, and many more are not safe under Punjab CM. How easily we forget all that.
I bet CCTVs were not functional even the day before the riots. The officials in charge of CCTV used rioter cutting connection as an excuse to hide that the CCTV weren't functional at all.
@ali: Word 'Killed' can be used for non living things as well. The literal meaning is to eliminate, terminate, dispatch, shatter, smash, crush. Though it is used rarely for non-living things.
Normally when there is such an incident alot of mobile videos popup and pictures also. there are very few images and no real insights. looks like somebody made sure that such pics and videos dont leak out. they are trying to hide the facts and alot of cover up is going on. Gov looks afraid to name anyone or even take a clear plan of actions. if all you can say is that a judicial enquiry is started then why bother to say that.
@Ch. Allah Daad: Chaudhri sahib, you are more than 100 per cent right but who will care? From the very inception of Pakistan these sectarian clashes and bloodshed had taken roots and every year are on the increase.With the kindness of our religious sacred cows we are headed to our total ruin.
@amir These kinds of processions and religious gathering also happen in developed countries. The muharram jaloos for instance takes place yearly in Manhattan New York, Downtown Los Angeles, London, India, and so on.
A developed country is the one who takes care of her citizen's personal beliefs and freedom to practise them peacefully.
Were the personnel monitoring the CCTV cameras sleeping? Didnt they notice that some cameras were not functioning and that security agencies should immediately look into it? What sort of security people the govt has? No SOP in such incidences. The SHO was on leave, strange. Someone from the security agencies must have been collaborating with the miscreants.
@amir: There is a juloos in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA and there was one in NYC on last Sunday on Park Ave. This is a civilized country and allows for freedom of religious practices by all religions of the world. We have smart people who take care of security for all of us. When you become a tolerant society, the kind you had in the days of Islam's 4th Caliph or even anytime prior to your great Islamizer General Zia. The general who gave the Pakistanis the ill conceived view of Islam.
Jamming cell phones are not used in this country to thwart attacks by the terrorist. Intelligence agencies must do their job and you would have peace. Judiciary must do their jobs judiciously, you would have peace. If the terrorist attack the naval headquarters in Karachi, do you recommend that Pakistan stop having c-3 planes.
Your intelligence and logic leaves a lot to be desired..
Please stop these so called Mullahs like Fazlullah and the one from Lal Masjid to stop spewing hate in the name of religion. And you will have peace.
most of these so called Mullahs also opposed Pakistan. They must be tried under treason charges not Musharraf.
There may be no CCTV installed in the area where the unfortunate incident occurred, otherwise, Chaudhry Nisar would have brought the broken CCTV cameras in the news conference to show it to the journalists.
The ugly incident happened due to lose control of the Police who handed over their guns to the mob to save their own lives from the mob.
The SHO of the area Police Station was on leave on Friday, whereas, the leaves of all the Police personnel were cancelled and every one was asked to be on duty in view of the 10th Muharram processions.
The question arises: why the area SHO was on leave on that particular day?
Who granted him the leave?
Had any senior officer in the Police department grant him leave on the leave application moved by the SHO who was taking rest at home, at the time the incident occurred.
Chaudhry Nisar has no words now even to make lame excuses, as despite strict security arrangements were planned long time back before 10th of Muharram, this particular incident just need one more spark and then it will spread in the entire country.
Rehman Malik redoux !
Hope concerned ministers concentrate on real issues that they are responsible for i e preventing riots, arson. killing and establishing Law and Order in Rawalpindi, Multan and other troubled cities instead of wasting time and diverting people's attention by announcing Mush trial.
So CCTV cameras were dysfunctional and you didn't even know that? So no one was patrolling the CCTVs? Wah jee wah, sadkay java.. Were there even any CCTVs? This is shameful and clear incompetence of government.
@Faisal: Well I couldn't cast my vote this time but if somehow i was able I would definitely have chosen 'sher'. And next time do mention whom you voted so that we have better idea of your deep love for this country as it seems that everybody except you hates this country...
So now CM is investigating as well. He is the CM, investigator, prosecutor, deputy PM Pakistan, the head of bureaucracy, since there is no local government in the province thanks to himself so he is managing that too. Do we have any system in this country?
Blame it on security forces, blame it on foreign hand, blame it on politicians but don't blame on Mullahs who are real culprits. There is no surprise that why this incident happened, the surprise is that only few people died. There were thousands of armed, angry and violent people on both sides, brainwashed since their childhood to kill Muslims of other sects.
Honestly, I'm no fan of pml-n but I think the government handled this situation really well. Compared to previous Ashuras, this one was relatively peaceful. The fact that here were no incidents in Karachi is very commendable. And whatever happened in Rawalpindi was obviously a very well planned conspiracy and by the imposition of the curfew the government succeeded in preventing further incidents. This was not about shia or sunni at all; it was anti-state elements that exploit events like these to promote their own agenda of hatred. We should not overlook the fact that our incumbent government is faced with a plethora of issues of all kinds and they are dealing with all of those, even if it is taking some time. What we need to do is be patient and support the administration because weather we like it or not, they're all we've got for the next five years. And @saqibtahir, if Mr. Malik was the interior minister right now, he would 'categorically deny' that any kind of violence has occurred while blaming all miss management on the pml-n provincial government.
Rawalpindi incident could be avoided the lake of preventive security and chekup on instalations and ofcourse leaks are in cause but the most important is takeing in consideration advices of all the Ulemas of all school of Islamic thaught in such havy Islamic demonstrations mabe city govt was taken by surprise but this is not the first time prayers and mournning are for all the time to come and forever it needs a serious Organisation
@Saqibtahir: R Malik was even worse....he could not tackle Karachi, Quetta problem compare to what it is today.....give the dévil its due.....
some people just want to criticise the government no matter what..
If the CCTV cameras were disabled 2 hours in advance of violence did the operator alert his/her superior? What action was or was not taken? Was this documented?
why government do not take steps to ban all such kind of religious gatherings or processions that take place outside mosques or imam bargas. Are such kind of activities allowed in any other developed country ? all such activities which affects people daily lives must be immediately banned
Killed? For the love of God, change it.
He is really Mr bean. he thinks he is clever that new speculation of P. Musharraf case will hide Rawalpindi massacre.
Its the same as karachi's ashura blast aftermath all over again. The government needs to figure out who wanted those shops badly. And/or who was not getting their shares in the income of those shops. But I think we have Rehman Malik number two in interior ministry now. Karachi University! Pls keep a doctorate degree ready bcoz this one seems just as capable as the last one. Lol
Upgraded version of Rahman Malik, with more nonsense.
Something very deep is going on here. This takes a lot of planning here involving and I don't know which oragistanions are involved. It sad that Pakistanis will take bribe from foreign agents.
Cartoon Network?
So Interior Minster, you know who controls CCTV...so arrest the culprit....no excuses...
Dont want people you support arrested?
@Faisal: Yes, very bad interior minister. We should bring A Rahman Malik back, or import one from KPK; jails are still safe in Rawalpindi.
Pakistan needs Rehman Malik back on his job.