LAHORE, July 9: Has the security of the Punjab Civil Secretariat, housing top provincial bureaucracy and the cabinet members, has been compromised by keeping its gates wide open to everybody?

The question haunts many an official and visitors to the secretariat, especially in the backdrop of enhanced terrorism threat.

But those at the helm of affairs indicate the replacement of the traditional barricaded or closed-door security system with the watch and ward practice.

The security management has also been transferred from the S&GAD to the home department for attuning it to the present-day concerns, primarily terrorism.

The huge iron gate of the civil secretariat remains wide open under directions from the chief secretary for the past some days. Even the couple of humps just inside the secretariat and the security staff have also been removed, allowing one to enter the premises without any hurdle.

This arrangement makes those uneasy who are more security conscious, or have got accustomed to watching limited access to the secretariat in the wake of any law and order situation.

Officials claim the security has not been comprised, it is going to be modernised instead. “We are going to ward off those who may be security risk and not the common people under the pretext of protecting the secretariat,” they say.

They say according to the new security plan, registration numbers of all the vehicles will be noted at the main gate, there will be concrete blocks to make the drive slow, allowing the security staff to watch the visitors, each vehicle will be checked with metal detector and all vehicles will be allowed to be parked at the rear of the chief secretary’s block.

The government is going to have police personnel from the Special Branch, trained in keeping an eye on the visitors. Police commandoes will also be deployed for a rapid response to any emergency anywhere in the secretariat.

The officials say the security will be tightened but made invisible. And there will be no disturbance for people whom the present government is allowing to freely come and have their grievances redressed.

“Clusters of people have been the target of terrorism, and we are keeping the doors open so that none is formed especially at the main gate of the secretariat. Closed doors and restricted permission mean people gathering at a spot, which is dangerous,” says the home secretary.