|
Security agreement was not followed in Lahore!
Friday, March 06, 2009
From Abdul Mohi Shah
ISLAMABAD: It is widely believed now that majority of the clauses that were part of the agreement between the Government and the Pakistan Cricket Board
(PCB) were not followed by the security agencies, resulting in the terrorists' easy access to the passing route of the teams to the Gaddafi Stadium.
As soon as the venues and dates are finalised by the International Cricket Division of PCB, the Administration Division forms organising committees with
the Provincial Government's top echelon as the patron and chief organisers and lists the sub-committees to hold matches in different cities of Pakistan.
The PCB and the Interior Ministry had signed SoPs in March ahead of the Bangladesh team visit and all the rules laid down in that document were followed
in the preceding Asia Cup held in April.
Whether it was followed by in the Test matches between Pakistan and Sri Lanka is open to debate.
The salient features of the pact are: a) A police officer no less than the rank of SP shall be permanently attached with the team as Liaison Officer, who
will not only travel with the visiting team but would stay at the hotel with the team. His primary responsibility is to act as coordinator between the
commander of the stadium and all other commanders including the City Chief Traffic Officer, jurisdictional SP of the team route, and the stadium in charge,
namely SP Model Town.
b) The agreed SoPs sealed and signed by Pakistani Government (Interior Ministry) stipulated the following:
i) Two routes for the visiting team's travel to and fro from hotel to the stadium shall be made available.
ii) The final route shall be decided by the accompanying SP of the team at the recommendation of the Command and Control Centre at the venue.
iii) The route shall be completely sealed off with blockade of arteries leading to the road where the team were to travel.
iv) One hour before the scheduled departure of the team from the hotel all vehicles parked within 200 yards of the road would either be removed or towed.
v) Special Branch police will sweep the 200 yards area leading to the route with sniffer dogs and electronic gadgets.
vi) Special Branch personnel would be deployed well in advance in the dwellings close to the proposed routes to gather Intel.
vii) Sharp shooters would be deployed on all high rises on route and around the stadium.
viii) The team convoy would move in a box formation meaning thereby that there would be two pilots (traffic wardens) followed by an Elite Force vehicle,
umpires van, team bus, and two Elite Force vehicles to provide cover to the bus on both side and one at the tail. These vehicles would be followed by ambulance
and fire engine.
ix) These were the agreed SoPs signed off by Rehman Malik and the security consultants who made these observations inter-alia other measures to be taken.
Some questions that needed to be answered include:
a) Why was Liberty Chowk open to public whereas it used to be cordoned off one hour before the scheduled departure of the teams?
b) Was there an SP attached to the visiting as well as home team?
c) Why were those rickshaws allegedly carrying these terrorists allowed to stay within the reachable distance of the incoming Sri Lankan coach?
d) Was there a command and control centre set up in the National Cricket Acaeemy (NCA) like it was set up during the Asia Cup?
e) If the Main Boulevard was to be the route, was that road secured as we had agreed with ICC?
f) Were there police constables deployed on the roofs of high rises as agreed, and if so, can someone explain why the terrorists were firing from the roof
of the National Hockey Stadium?
|