RECENTLY I saw an advertisement in a newspaper from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) for the supply of handheld explosive detectors for the Quetta office. I would like to inform the SBP and other government institutions and security organisations that there is no handheld device that can detect explosives in less than 25 minutes for one person. Such devices are not feasible.

Back in 2016 the government faced criticism when it was found out that the handheld ‘khoji’ bomb-detectors that were in use by security agencies and banks in Pakistan were bogus. The owners of the company that made these devices are serving prison sentences for fraud in the UK. But there was no investigation or even notification to stop the usage of these bogus devices here in Pakistan. I recently saw the airport security staff of Peshawar and Islamabad airports using these fake bomb-detectors at the security checkpoint.

I request the relevant authorities to ban the use of such devices. Also, in the future, all such devices should be referred to the Pakistan Engineering Council which can test them to know their accuracy. The current bomb detectors for individual checking consists of machines that suck in the dust off an individual’s clothes that is tested for explosive materials.

Engr Shahryar Khan Baseer
Peshawar

Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2018