By Mateen Haider

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly has directed the Ministry of Interior to ensure foolproof security for Parliament House.

Legislators observed that Islamabad police had failed to stop the intrusion of protesters on four different occasions in the House premises.

The remarks and observations came from National Assembly’s Deputy Speaker Murtaza Satti who was chairing a meeting of the Standing Committee on House and Library which looks after matters relating to security of the House.

"There was no resistance from police personnel to stop the Sikh protestors from breaking into the precincts of Parliament HGouse,” Satti observed.

He termed it sheer negligence on part of the Islamabad police whereby sanctity of the House was compromised.

The committee directed the Islamabad police to strictly implement a zero tolerance policy in relation to protests in the red zone and to ensure that no one is allowed to cross the threshold.

The committee also asked the interior ministry to submit reports of the incidents that had happened earlier and earmark space for protests in the future.

Present at the committee meeting, additional secretary interior and chief commissioner Islamabad capital territory admitted the failure of police over the May 23 incident.

The chief commissioner apprised the committee that seven police personnel had been suspended following the preliminary investigation and action against other negligent officers would be taken upon conclusion of the inquiry.

The additional secretary further informed the committee that the interior ministry was committed to making the security of Islamabad and especially the red zone impeccable by deploying extra police personnel, intensifying surveillance by security agencies and installation of additional surveillance cameras.