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| November 13, 2006 | Monday | Shawwal 20, 1427 |
Islamabad put under tight security: Suicide bombing scare
ISLAMABAD, Nov 12: Security and intelligence agencies have put private guest houses and madreassahs in the city under watch following intelligence reports that five militants are out on suicide missions in the country.
“We have directed the owners of all private guest houses in Islamabad to submit us a record of their guests on daily basis. Similarly the enrolment registers of seminaries are being checked every day,” Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Chaudhry Mohammad Ali confirmed to Dawn on Sunday.
These orders followed the deployment of 300 extra troops on Margalla hills and at sensitive places in the federal capital on Thursday and were meant to prevent terrorists from using guest houses and the madrassahs as “transit camps”.
President Pervez Musharraf made the terrorist threat sound real when he publicly expressed his fear in Sheikhupura on Saturday that more Dargai-like incidents could occur in the country.
DC Chaudhry Mohammad Ali said security of the Diplomatic Enclave had been enhanced and diplomats suggested to minimise their appearance in public places.
“We have close liaison with the security and intelligence staff of foreign missions and we share information with each other on regular basis,” he said.
All entry points of the capital are being strictly watched and vehicles entering Islamabad are being randomly checked.
DC Chaudhry Mohammad Ali said guest houses had been told to keep a photograph and the photocopy of the ID card of every guest.
Police have also been checking the over 75 guest houses and 35 seminaries in the city where 1,000 guests and 5,000 students are found on an average day.
Security authorities wanted to thoroughly investigate those residing in hotels and guest houses for more than a month, it is learnt.
“We have directed guest houses not to expel any suspect but inform the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration,” the deputy commissioner said.
ICT officials have held meetings with the managers of the guest houses and the madrassahs to seek their cooperation in the effort to keep the city safe.
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