On the instructions of Interior Ministry intelligence agencies have begun re-screening personnel in the Elite Force, Frontier and Punjab Constabulary and all other agencies engaged in VIP, VVIP security duty, informed sources in Interior Ministry revealed to Business Recorder on Thursday.
The process of screening was initiated in the wake of assassination of Salmaan Taseer, Punjab Governor by his own security guard, Interior Ministry sources said. After the assassination of the Governor all departments involved in public protection are reviewing security measures and have commenced re-screening of anyone performing high profile security duty. There is no fixed number as to how many people would be asked to pass the litmus test of re-screening, but all personnel of these organisations have to pass the test, Interior Ministry sources said.
People with religious extremist backgrounds would be kept away from these sensitive security organisations responsible for VVIPs and VIPs security, sources said. However, Interior Ministry sources had no response to the question of what would be the fate of those who did not pass the re-screening test: sacking or transfer to another agency.
Law enforcement agencies at both the federal and provincial level have initiated an investigation as to how Malik Mumtaz Qadri, given the fact that he made no secret of his views, was not removed from Salmaan Taseer's security team and many officials in Special Branch and Elite Force are being questioned in this regard, sources in Islamabad Police said.
"An investigation is underway as to how he (Qadri) got deputed for this special duty, when he was declared a security risk for the job due to extremist views", well placed sources in Islamabad Police said. Besides the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) headed by DIG Operation of Islamabad Police another team of Punjab Police is also investigating the matter and are trying to trace people involved in this episode.
Nasir Khan Durrani, highly reputed professional police officer, SSP Special Branch declared Mumtaz Qadri a security risk and recommended that he should not be included in security team of any VVIP personality, sources revealed. Malik Mumtaz Qadri, a commando of Elite Force, surrendered after he gunned down Salmaan Taseer on Tuesday last week at Kohsar Market in F-6/3 and confessed before the investigators and the court.
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