US surveillance of Naval HQs

ISLAMABAD Much before the terror attack on the Naval Headquarters in E-9 sector of Islamabad, the complex was being monitored by the US embassy. TheNation has learnt that on November 18, a gentleman working for the US embassy in Islamabad, (see photocopy of ID card) Mr Abdul Ghafoor, was stopped by Naval police and intelligence personnel in the morning as he was suspiciously monitoring the entry/exit of Zafar gate (at Zafar Chowk) and doing reconnaissance work of naval installations. Suspicions were further heightened when it was discovered that he was using a motorbike with a number plate that was found to be fake when checked. The chassis of the bike also seemed to have been tampered with. He offered a flimsy explanation to the effect that he was checking the route on which the ambassador had to travel. The Naval police and intelligence personnel insisted the police to register an FIR against him for surveillance of a restricted area. It was also found that his number plate IDM 5250 showed that it belonged to a Toyota Corolla. The chassis number of the bike was D55609. A camera was also found on his person. The Naval and other agencies sought to have a case of spying registered against the man - as shown in the FIR - as they were sure that is what he was up to. Unfortunately, the police high-ups did a double cross on the Navy by registering the case under PPC 420 468/471 dealing fake documentation etc., instead of registering the case under the 1923 Official Secrets Act for Spying, which carries a much stronger penalty. This has led to some debate and conflict amongst the concerned Agencies and one has to wonder where the pressure on the police came from for them to have diluted a very serious issue despite the clear accusations in the FIR (see copy).