Better late than never: Urgent need to revise security plans of sensitive installations in Sindh, says home secretary

Dr Niaz Ali Abbasi claims airport attack a reaction to Waziristan operation.

KARACHI: Given the brazen attack on Jinnah International Airport in Karachi on Sunday night, there is an urgent need to revise the security plans for of all federal and provincial installations in Sindh.

The provincial home secretary, Dr Niaz Ali Abbasi, urged for more security addressing a press conference at his office on Wednesday.

The secretary said the security of any building or installation is the primary responsibility of the organisation itself. "A strong security mechanism within the premises of the installation is a major deterrence against terrorism," he said. "The outer side of the premises of vital installations come under the law enforcement agencies and these plans also need to be re-defined and revised."

The standard procedure must be adopted by all vital installations after consulting with the district administration and the law enforcement agencies, he said. Restricted areas need to be administratively designed together by the commissioner and the deputy inspector general (DIG) of the police within seven days, he said, urging them to limit access to authorised personnel only.

Abbasi said that the commissioner and the DIGs are jointly required to prepare lists of vital installations belonging to both the federal and provincial governments within their jurisdiction. The commissioner shall constitute district-level vital installation committees, comprising DCs, SSPs, Rangers and representatives of vital installations, within 10 days.

The management of these sensitive organisations must install intrusion-detection devices, such as a biometric system and closed-circuit television cameras, as soon as possible, he said, explaining how a Behaviour Detection System can automatically detect suspicious behaviour.

Strong compound walls supported by maximum watchtowers, fencing, lighting and barricades are also needed, along with adequate security patrols to check buildings, grounds and compound walls. Residential areas and hotels close to vital installations need to be swept thoroughly and constantly monitored by the law enforcement agencies in coordination with the management of vital installations, he added.

Shortage of LEAs

There is a shortage of law enforcement personnel to cater to the over 20 million people living in Karachi, Abbasi admitted. It is difficult to control the situation with such a short strength, he said. On the presence of illegal immigrants, he said that the data of the illegal immigrants living in Karachi is being collected by the National Database Registration Authority.

Responding to another query, he said that no Joint Investigation Team has been constituted for the airport attack. The attack on Jinnah International Airport in Karachi is a reaction by the militants to the ongoing operation in Waziristan, he added. 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 12^th, 2014.