ISLAMABAD, Dec 5: Police pickets reappeared on the city roads on Friday annoying motorists who had to undergo repeated searches at the hastily raised checkpoints.
Police sources told Dawn that the department took the measure after it received intelligence that a sedan car laden with explosives had entered Islamabad. It also put other elements of its security plans for Eidul Azha into operation prematurely.
It was said the disturbing intelligence report arrived when SSP Capt (retired) Ahmad Latif was finalising with senior police officers the security plan for Eid holidays.
They immediately raised the security level to “very high” and put the interdiction part of the plan into operation.
Checkpoints and barriers went up at key points and roads of the city and the nearly 2,000 policemen and commandos called to reinforce the regular police force were deployed at these points and sent on patrols.
In view of the report that terrorists may be on the prowl to avenge the military operations in Frontier and tribal areas, the securitymen strictly checked motorists, their vehicles and identification papers at the pickets.
Police said the state of “very high alert” will continue till the end of Eid celebrations.
SSP Latif’s security plan calls for keeping the city’s 584 mosques, 30 Imambargahs and 24 Eidgahs safe on the Eid day on Tuesday and its shopping centres, entertainment and picnic places and sensitive buildings of the government and foreign missions during the holiday period.
Private security guards at these places and administrations of mosques and imambargahs would assist the police in keeping an eye on terrorists and criminal elements.
A police officer said that security measures were being taken to prevent criminal and terrorist activities on the occasion.
Crimes increase during national holidays and festivities, he said.
Sub-divisional police officers (SDPOs) and station house officers (SHOs) have been provided extra forces for searching hotels, motels, bus stops, shrines, guest houses, inns, markets. The officials are authorized to seek any information and take anyone into custody on suspicion.
Police would frisk and use metal detectors to check citizens arriving for Eid prayers at mosques, Imambargahs and Eidgahs.
Beggars would be kept away from these places of worship as they are considered “a security hazard”, according to police sources.
SSP Latif has directed the SDOPs and SHOs to implement the security measures strictly with the warning that “harassment by them would not be tolerated”, the sources said.