Liberty and Manawan incidents: serious negligence in security arrangements, says Shahbaz

The Punjab Chief Minister, Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif presided over a high level meeting at Chief Ministers Secretariat on Wednesday, which expressed its consensus that serious negligence was committed in the security arrangements by the administration and police in the incidents of attacks on Sri Lankan Cricket Team and Manawan Police Training Centre.
Senior Advisor Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa, Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan, Senator Pervez Rashid, Advisors Jehanzeb Burki, Saeed Mehdi, MPA Dr. Saeed Elahi, Chief Secretary, Addl. Chief Secretary, Inspector General Police, Home Secretary, Addl. IG CID and Special Branch besides senior officers of the concerned departments attended the meeting.
The participants of the meeting were of the view that not only precious lives were lost as a result of these two incidents particularly attack on Sri Lankan Cricket Team but the image of Pakistan received irreparable loss at international level. The meeting showed its astonishment that despite clear and irrefutable evidences in the negligence of duties by the concerned officers and officials in this incident no action had been taken against any person so far. The participants strongly condemned it that despite prior written information from the intelligence agencies neither any official was deputed on the route of guest team nor there was any arrangement of patrolling.
Addressing the meeting, Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif said that despite secret reports and clear threats of terrorism to the country, the incidents of giving free hands to terrorists in Lahore could be turned criminal negligence in the soft words. He said that not only security arrangements were ineffective but the negligence was also shown in the implementation of planning made for this purpose.
He said that the people of Punjab facing terrorism were disappointed that despite laps of one months period no action had been taken against the persons who had shown negligence of duty. He said that although it was impossible to eliminate terrorism yet people had a right to question why criminal negligence was shown by the government to check such incidents. He said that the evidences collected so far regarding attack on Sri Lankan team prove that if the concern officers had performed their duty efficiently then this tragic incident would have been avoided.
Expressing his astonishment, he said that what could be more important than the security of guests of Sri Lankan team. He said that effective and best security arrangements would have to be made for curbing the incidents of terrorism and sabotage.
The Chief Minister directed to constitute a high level committee headed by the Senior Advisor to Chief Minister, Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa and comprising of Provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan, MPA Saeed Elahi, Advisors Saeed Mehdi, Jehanzeb Burki, Chief Secretary, Home Secretary and concerned officials, which would review in detail the incidents of Liberty and Manawan and submit its recommendations for making foolproof security arrangements.
The committee would also submit its recommendations within seven days about equipping the police with modern weapons, skill and other necessary facilities. Whereas the committee would also submit its recommendations about making close liaison with various agencies and further improving their performance of curbing any untoward incident.
The Chief Minister Punjab took serious notice of loss of precious lives due to kite flying ordered the Home Secretary to ensure the strict action against the persons involved in violating the ban on kite flying in the province. He warned that strict action would be taken against the concerned police officers in case of kite flying in their respective areas.
He said that only those families could realise tragedy whose dears and nears had lost their lives as a result of use of chemical and fatal string in kite flying. He directed that an inquiry should be conducted that if ban was lifted for one day for kite flying then why steps were not taken to check the use of fatal string for protecting the precious lives.
Senior Advisor to Chief Minister, Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa addressing the meeting said that the seriousness of the facts could be judged that the police officers present in the meeting were unable to answer the questions raised by the participants about the prior security arrangements with regard to incidents of terrorism but their reply was only limited to the action taken after the incidents.
He said that awarding of exemplary punishment to the persons not curbing the terrorists is a national obligation. On this occasion, Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said that the IG office had played the role of just a post office.