KARACHI, Oct 18: Almost all security measures agreed upon between the government and the PPP on the so-called fool-proof security for PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto stood compromised the moment she emerged from the terminal one of the airport aboard the vehicle specially built for her.

The bullet-proof screen was removed from the front portion of the truck and was visibly dumped in its rear portion. Sources close to the party said Ms Bhutto had asked for the removal of the protective glass shield.

The inner cordon of PPP activists who had formed a security ring around the truck were finding it hard to keep away the emotionally charged crowd eager to get close to their party chairperson. The security cordon was also sent away by the PPP leader.

Some overexcited activists from the inner cordon climbed the truck to shake hands with their chairperson. She also received bouquets from some people among the crowd breaching the standard operation procedure of the security plan.

A senior police officer said perhaps the only reliable tool was the presence of the two jammer-fitted four-by-four vehicles used in the president’s security.

City Police Chief Azhar Farooqi was perturbed over the disregard for security. Citing the most obvious violations, Mr Farooqi said supporters had broken the cordon and reached the terminal one.

Second, Ms Bhutto was not using the bullet-proof screen specially made by the PPP in consultation with police, the CCPO told Dawn, adding that they had conveyed their concern to Maj-Gen (retd) Ahsan and SP Imtiaz Husain, the chief security officer of Ms Bhutto.

He said the two jammer-fitted vehicles meant for the president’s security were being used after Islamabad’s clearance.

Mr Farooqi described the situation as “not an ideal one from the security point of view”. He went on to say that even bouquets were being passed on to Ms Bhutto by PPP activists maintaining the inner cordon without checking them.

The Sindh home department had issued a warning that suicide bombings at the behest of Al Qaeda or the Taliban were being feared.

The home department had also expressed the apprehension that the longer Ms Bhutto stayed on the road, the more difficult it would become to ensure her fool-proof security.