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Experts wonder why secret info is being given to TV
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
By Rauf Klasra
ISLAMABAD: Security officials and experts are at a loss to understand why Adviser on Interior Rehman Malik rejected the desperate pleas of some secret agencies, particularly the Military Intelligence (MI), not to reveal the name and origin of the Afghan terrorist arrested in the Lahore Police Academy attack.
These experts say the arrested terrorist was providing them vital information and it was feared that unnecessary release of details at this stage might greatly jeopardise further progress in the probe. Some officials thought Malik may have revealed some facts to appear in full control and stay on TV screens.
Meanwhile one top source in the Interior Ministry revealed that the secret agencies had stated in their initial report to the government that only one Afghan national had been arrested and five youths from Waziristan had managed to escape during the day-long gun battles.
ìThis is a major bluff that either all the terrorists were killed or arrested, as only one Afghan was arrested and the rest quietly fled. Only three were killed when they blew them up when cornered,î one high-level source in the Interior Ministry confirmed to The News.
According to insiders the Afghan national was specially sent from Paktia province in Afghanistan to find a target in Lahore, plan and then execute it. The report said trained manpower was actually provided by Baitullah Mehsud and all 11 attackers were from Waziristan. ìThe arrested Afghan was the ring leader of the terrorist plot who was monitoring the operation from outside. Now under arrest he was providing vital information to the agencies,î the sources said.
That was why, the sources said, secret agencies had specifically requested the government officials of the Interior Ministry and others not to disclose the name of province at any cost as it may have implications.
The agencies had argued that if the name of Paktia province was disclosed at this stage, it would not serve the purpose of investigators as they wanted to capture many people off guard in the light of information being given by the arrested Afghan. But, the sources lamented, that Rehman Malik revealed inside information to the media.
One Interior Ministry source said the shocking revelation of Malik had greatly disappointed the investigators as revealing the attackers identity would have alerted all those who were accomplices in the plot.
He also recalled that same blunder was earlier committed by Governor Salman Taseer on the day of attack on the Sri Lankan team. The governor too in the heat of emotions had unwisely told the media persons on camera that Sri Lankan team was being airlifted from the stadium through a helicopter. ìWe all were shocked to hear him telling all this on camera as those terrorists who had attacked the Sri Lankan team were roaming free on the roads of Lahore and could have hit the helicopter,î the source feared.
He was also shocked to see when a top investigator was found telling the media on television that they had got clues from the mobile SIMs and were now trying to trace the killers. He believed that such specific information could actually help the terrorists get away.
Meanwhile, sources said, the Afghan national who was arrested adjacent to the helicopter was actually given the task from the terrorists hiding inside the building to go and blow up the helicopter as it was targeting them from the air. This Afghan national was in touch with them through mobile phone from the outside and was passing on them instructions and giving them information about the details of the police operations.
When he was caught he told the investigators that five of his colleagues were injured inside while three had blown themselves up. But, now it has been revealed that those injured too had escaped as it had happened in the Sri Lanka team attack on March 3.
Experts wonder why secret info is being given to TV
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
By Rauf Klasra
ISLAMABAD: Security officials and experts are at a loss to understand why Adviser on Interior Rehman Malik rejected the desperate pleas of some secret agencies, particularly the Military Intelligence (MI), not to reveal the name and origin of the Afghan terrorist arrested in the Lahore Police Academy attack.
These experts say the arrested terrorist was providing them vital information and it was feared that unnecessary release of details at this stage might greatly jeopardise further progress in the probe. Some officials thought Malik may have revealed some facts to appear in full control and stay on TV screens.
Meanwhile one top source in the Interior Ministry revealed that the secret agencies had stated in their initial report to the government that only one Afghan national had been arrested and five youths from Waziristan had managed to escape during the day-long gun battles.
ìThis is a major bluff that either all the terrorists were killed or arrested, as only one Afghan was arrested and the rest quietly fled. Only three were killed when they blew them up when cornered,î one high-level source in the Interior Ministry confirmed to The News.
According to insiders the Afghan national was specially sent from Paktia province in Afghanistan to find a target in Lahore, plan and then execute it. The report said trained manpower was actually provided by Baitullah Mehsud and all 11 attackers were from Waziristan. ìThe arrested Afghan was the ring leader of the terrorist plot who was monitoring the operation from outside. Now under arrest he was providing vital information to the agencies,î the sources said.
That was why, the sources said, secret agencies had specifically requested the government officials of the Interior Ministry and others not to disclose the name of province at any cost as it may have implications.
The agencies had argued that if the name of Paktia province was disclosed at this stage, it would not serve the purpose of investigators as they wanted to capture many people off guard in the light of information being given by the arrested Afghan. But, the sources lamented, that Rehman Malik revealed inside information to the media.
One Interior Ministry source said the shocking revelation of Malik had greatly disappointed the investigators as revealing the attackers identity would have alerted all those who were accomplices in the plot.
He also recalled that same blunder was earlier committed by Governor Salman Taseer on the day of attack on the Sri Lankan team. The governor too in the heat of emotions had unwisely told the media persons on camera that Sri Lankan team was being airlifted from the stadium through a helicopter. ìWe all were shocked to hear him telling all this on camera as those terrorists who had attacked the Sri Lankan team were roaming free on the roads of Lahore and could have hit the helicopter,î the source feared.
He was also shocked to see when a top investigator was found telling the media on television that they had got clues from the mobile SIMs and were now trying to trace the killers. He believed that such specific information could actually help the terrorists get away.
Meanwhile, sources said, the Afghan national who was arrested adjacent to the helicopter was actually given the task from the terrorists hiding inside the building to go and blow up the helicopter as it was targeting them from the air. This Afghan national was in touch with them through mobile phone from the outside and was passing on them instructions and giving them information about the details of the police operations.
When he was caught he told the investigators that five of his colleagues were injured inside while three had blown themselves up. But, now it has been revealed that those injured too had escaped as it had happened in the Sri Lanka team attack on March 3.
Experts wonder why secret info is being given to TV
