Adeel
Founder
ISLAMABAD: Could this attack have been thwarted or handled in a better manner is the question that warrants a response because the attack on the Armys General Headquarters (GHQ) had been specifically predicted by an intelligence agency, which had reported to every authority concerned that the GHQ would face an assault in precisely the same fashion, as it happened on Saturday. The News had broken this story in its October 5 issue.
A Punjab home department letter had quoted intelligence gathered by it had revealed that terrorists belonging to the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), in collaboration with the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LJ) and the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JM), were planning to attack the General Headquarters (GHQ), Rawalpindi.
It had warned that the terrorists were planning to make their way into the GHQ clad in military uniforms and riding a military vehicle. Alternately, they may use a vehicle, which would be driven to the boundary wall of the GHQ where one of its portions is reportedly broken and they would jump into the compound by scaling/using a ladder. They may then move to the central building of the GHQ and resort to indiscriminate firing, which may result in bloodshed, the intelligence report, which was published by The News, had warned.
The News had then reported that some four months back, the Punjab home department disseminated amongst all authorities concerned this unambiguous warning quoting an unnamed source about the likely terrorist attack on the General Headquarters (GHQ) of the Pakistan Army.
The home department classified its letter immediate, confidential, restricted, not to be circulated, source report, signed by the additional secretary, internal security, dated 16th July, 2009 on a report of the Crime Investigation Department (CID) of the Punjab. It was addressed to the Wapda chairman, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Punjab, the additional IGP, Special Branch, Punjab, and all divisional commissioners.
Its copies were dispatched to the Punjab chief secretary, the secretary to the Punjab chief minister, the secretary (coordination) to the chief minister, the joint director Intelligence Bureau, Lahore, the commander, Military Intelligence, Lahore, the commander, ISI, Lahore, Lahore Corps Headquarters, the sector commander, Air Intelligence, Lahore, and others.
This is not the first time that the Punjabs CID has come out with absolutely accurate advance information about a terrorist attack.
In January this year, the CID accurately warned the Punjab government about Indian RAWs plan to target the Sri Lankan cricket team during its visit to Pakistan, which took place two months later in March.
The CID, while referring to a source report, said that a terrorist attack would be carried out especially while the Sri Lankan team would be travelling between the hotel and stadium or at hotel during their stay. And what the whole world saw on March 3, it precisely happened the same way, raising a million dollar question as to why the provincial government then under Governor Salmaan Taseer let it happen so easily despite this clear warning.
Copy of this good work of the CID, unfortunately wasted by the Punjab administration in a sheer show of criminal negligence, showed Additional Inspector General of Police, CID, Punjab Malik Muhammad Iqbal, sharing this report with all the relevant functionaries in the federal and provincial governments.
The premier federal intelligence agencies do not generally attach too much importance to the provincial CID works and mostly go by their own gathered information. The overall excellent work of these agencies also speaks of their penetration and inroads into the very terrorist outfits.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=24950
someone has to pay the price for this security lapse, we can't continue on with incompetent people, first it was sri lankan team attack, then Monawah police academy and now GHQ. every time there is security lapse and we continue on without firing these people for serious security lapses.
A Punjab home department letter had quoted intelligence gathered by it had revealed that terrorists belonging to the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), in collaboration with the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LJ) and the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JM), were planning to attack the General Headquarters (GHQ), Rawalpindi.
It had warned that the terrorists were planning to make their way into the GHQ clad in military uniforms and riding a military vehicle. Alternately, they may use a vehicle, which would be driven to the boundary wall of the GHQ where one of its portions is reportedly broken and they would jump into the compound by scaling/using a ladder. They may then move to the central building of the GHQ and resort to indiscriminate firing, which may result in bloodshed, the intelligence report, which was published by The News, had warned.
The News had then reported that some four months back, the Punjab home department disseminated amongst all authorities concerned this unambiguous warning quoting an unnamed source about the likely terrorist attack on the General Headquarters (GHQ) of the Pakistan Army.
The home department classified its letter immediate, confidential, restricted, not to be circulated, source report, signed by the additional secretary, internal security, dated 16th July, 2009 on a report of the Crime Investigation Department (CID) of the Punjab. It was addressed to the Wapda chairman, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Punjab, the additional IGP, Special Branch, Punjab, and all divisional commissioners.
Its copies were dispatched to the Punjab chief secretary, the secretary to the Punjab chief minister, the secretary (coordination) to the chief minister, the joint director Intelligence Bureau, Lahore, the commander, Military Intelligence, Lahore, the commander, ISI, Lahore, Lahore Corps Headquarters, the sector commander, Air Intelligence, Lahore, and others.
This is not the first time that the Punjabs CID has come out with absolutely accurate advance information about a terrorist attack.
In January this year, the CID accurately warned the Punjab government about Indian RAWs plan to target the Sri Lankan cricket team during its visit to Pakistan, which took place two months later in March.
The CID, while referring to a source report, said that a terrorist attack would be carried out especially while the Sri Lankan team would be travelling between the hotel and stadium or at hotel during their stay. And what the whole world saw on March 3, it precisely happened the same way, raising a million dollar question as to why the provincial government then under Governor Salmaan Taseer let it happen so easily despite this clear warning.
Copy of this good work of the CID, unfortunately wasted by the Punjab administration in a sheer show of criminal negligence, showed Additional Inspector General of Police, CID, Punjab Malik Muhammad Iqbal, sharing this report with all the relevant functionaries in the federal and provincial governments.
The premier federal intelligence agencies do not generally attach too much importance to the provincial CID works and mostly go by their own gathered information. The overall excellent work of these agencies also speaks of their penetration and inroads into the very terrorist outfits.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=24950
someone has to pay the price for this security lapse, we can't continue on with incompetent people, first it was sri lankan team attack, then Monawah police academy and now GHQ. every time there is security lapse and we continue on without firing these people for serious security lapses.
