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Terrorist threat looming in Lahore:
·
 Security
beefed up, again!
Police declare Civil Secretariat ‘red
zone’
* Suspicious vehicles being checked n Security tightened at Qurban
Lines
* CCPO urges citizens to report any suspicious person or activity to
police
LAHORE: The security of important buildings and police offices was
beefed up on Tuesday after intelligence reports of more terrorist
attacks in the city.
The city police has finalised a comprehensive security plan in this
regard and has deployed security personnel at all the sensitive
government buildings. The Punjab Civil Secretariat has been declared
as a red zone. Police has been checking vehicles by setting up
pickets on different roads and patrolling in mobile vans. They
checked the Computerised National Identity Cards (CNIC) of
passengers. The traffic wardens were also sternly directed to keep
an eye on suspicious vehicles and check them.
Checking: Police continued checking suspicious vehicles on The Mall,
Jail Road, GT Road, Canal Road, Ferozepur Road, Multan Road, Lower
Mall, and Ravi Road. Diversions have been set up in front of the
sensitive buildings to reduce the speed of vehicles. Orders have
also been issued to tighten the security of the police stations.
Additional security personnel have been manned at the Qila Gujjar
Singh Police Lines, offices of sensitive agencies, police training
centers, PTV building, Alhamra Hall, Punjab Assembly building,
Punjab Civil Secretariat, Lahore High Court, Supreme Court Registry,
GPO, Railway Station, Wapda House, CM House, hotels, State Bank, and
educational institutions providing co-education.
Qurban Lines: Trenches made of sandbags have been set up at the
entry points of the Qurban Lines. A concrete security post was
constructed at its Jail Road entrance. Snipers have been appointed
at the Sherpao over-head bridge to thwart any possible attack on the
Qurban Lines.
Suspicious activity: Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Muhammad
Pervez Rathore appealed to the citizens to keep an eye on their
neighbourhoods, markets, tenants and pedestrians. He said terrorists
were the enemies of the state and it was incumbent upon the citizens
to extend wholehearted cooperation to defeat the nefarious designs
of Taliban. He called upon the citizens to immediately inform the
Lahore police about any suspicious person or activity and assured
the name of the informant would be kept secret.rana tanveer
Punjab Assembly building target for terrorists?
MPAs to raise concern in next session
·
 Lawmakers
to call for shifting police, intelligence offices away from heart of
city
* PML-N MPA says Pakistan has not updated failed security system
By Rana Kashif
LAHORE: Members of the Punjab Assembly (MPAs) are concerned over the
security of the provincial assembly building after the recent
terrorists attacks at police and intelligence agency offices in the
city, which left almost 30 dead and more than 300 injured.
In the next assembly session, the MPAs will raise the issue of
shifting the offices of police and intelligence agencies away from
the heart of the populated areas of the city. They will also demand
that the traditional security system be replaced with a modern
electronic system. Pakistan Muslim League (PML) ‘unification bloc’
head Tahir Ali Javed said he would raise the security issue in the
coming session of the PA. He said there was a dire need to introduce
modern security systems to save the lives of the citizens and
safeguard their properties everywhere in the country. Javed said the
Punjab Police’s current security system had completely failed
because it was outdated.
Javed asked how the PA building could be safe from terrorist attacks
of the offices of the police and an intelligence agency were not
safe. He said, “The terrorists have changed their style of atack
because now, first they fire indiscriminately to create fear and
chaos, and than carry out the bombings to ensure maximum damage, and
we are still relying on outdated security systems. We need to change
it on an urgent basis to ensure the safety of the citizens.”
Failed system: PML-Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Mian Naseer said, “It is a well
established opinion that we are still carrying on with a failed
security system. We have entered into a new security phase and we
need to introduce a new security system.” Naseer said the government
needed to introduce an entirely different security force and system.
He said he would raise the issue in the coming session of the PA
that why were the police and intelligence agencies allowed to set up
their offices in the heart of the populated city, where there were
many important buildings like that of the PA.
Portions of Lawrence Road, Bank Road become ‘no go’
areas
LAHORE: The government is
considering permanently closing a portion of Lawrence Road and Bank
Road to the public in its bid to ensure the security of the Punjab
Police and Inter-Services Intelligence headquarters, sources told
Daily Times. The option is being considered in the wake of last
week’s terrorist attack on the two buildings. The sources in the
Punjab Police Department said Queen’s Road and a portion of Lawrence
Road would remain inaccessible for another week to complete repair
work on the boundary walls of the police and ISI buildings. They
said even prior to the blast, the option of permanently closing
Lawrence Road –from Qadri Chowk to Mozang Road – to all traffic, was
being mulled. However, they said, the option was not exercised due
to potential inconvenience for commuters. Civil Lines Superintendent
of Police (SP) Sohail Akhtar Sukhera confirmed that the portion of
the road had not been closed to traffic to prevent inconvenience to
the public. However, he denied that the proposal was currently under
consideration. Sukhera said Queen’s Road and Lawrence Road would be
out of bounds for the next few days, until the construction of the
demolished buildings. He said the future location of the Rescue 15
offices was yet undecided. The portion of the Bank Road next to the
Chief Police Officer’s office has been closed to traffic, and
barriers have been set up there. rana tanveer
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Daily Times:stff Reports :
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
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