February 04, 2008	Monday	Muharram 25, 1429

ISLAMABAD, Feb 3: The government will not be able to provide advanced security apparatus to security forces before Feb 18 general elections. “We have started the process of acquiring latest equipment which will be completed by the next elected government,” caretaker interior minister Lt-Gen (retd) Hamid Nawaz told Dawn on Sunday.

Interior Ministry spokesman Brig (retd) Javed Iqbal Cheema had said at his weekly press briefing on Tuesday that the advanced equipment, including explosives’ detectors and scanners, were being purchased by the government to foil suicide attacks on politicians during electioneering.

The minister said that the process of selection of equipment was not an easy task and it would take some time.

“Therefore, it is impossible that security forces will have the latest equipment before elections,” he said.

The ministry had said that following the tragic assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto on December 27 in Rawalpindi, some other prominent leaders of different political parties were also on the hit-list of terrorists.

The minister claimed that the equipment would help foil suicide bombings because with advanced gadgets, security forces would be able to detect explosives from some distance. “We will have those scanners which can detect explosives even underground,” the minister claimed.

He said that many international firms dealing in security apparatus had sent their brochures to the ministry and the government wanted to invite them for presentations so that good quality and cost-effective equipment could be selected.

SCOTLAND YARD TEAM: The minister said the Scotland Yard team would come next week. “We have requested them to come to Pakistan,” he said.

He, however, did not confirm whether the team would present its investigation report immediately after its arrival or would conduct more investigation.

“The British investigators will be free to investigate the case further if they want,” the minister said.