The security high alert declared by the government on Friday after threats from Taliban to target major cities including Islamabad proved only one day affair, as there was no security check at entry points of Islamabad on Saturday. Shortage of vehicles and manpower in Islamabad Police are the main causes of security lapses.
While more than 160 vehicles have been purchased for Islamabad police are on security duty of Ministers and other government functionaries, said a well placed official of Islamabad Police on the condition of anonymity.
He said that the high ups of Islamabad Police had decided to move a summary to Interior Ministry to seek these vehicles back and demand additional recruitment in Police department. But it is not known why the summary was not moved so far, he added.
More than half of Islamabad Police is on security duty of the high government functionaries and how can they come on security duty on roads and entry points, he told. When this scribe tried to contact the Islamabad Police high ups their cell-phones were on no response while the response from their office was that boss is in meeting with seniors. This was response from SSP, DIG and even IG Islamabad Police.
Only Red Zone was under tight security while remaining parts of the capital were at their routine negating the claims of stringent security measures by Interior Ministry and Islamabad administration as few dozing cops of Islamabad police were deployed at entry points showing no interest in checking vehicles. When contacted the Interior Ministry sources said that Islamabad Police was facing acute shortage of man power and vehicles.
It is pertinent to note that on Friday high alert was announced in Islamabad to avoid any untoward incident and people travelling to Capital were asked to keep their identification papers with them, besides the documents of their vehicles. The motorists were being checked the whole day by security officials and sniffer dogs. Meanwhile, Police raided shanty dwellings in and around Islamabad, rounding up 70 people mostly Afghan refugees.
The raids in Taxila town and near airport were aimed at preventing terrorists from entering the city to carry out fresh strikes, police said. "Seventy people have been rounded up in Taxila and Islamabad as part of a search operation aimed at preventing infiltration of terrorists in the city and neighbouring Rawalpindi", a police official said.