No security lapse, IIU out of security zone: Malik

ISLAMABAD Interior Minister Rehman Malik Tuesday said that the chief of Jundulluh AbdolMalik Rigi was not in Pakistan and was running his outfit, involved in terrorist activities in Iran and elsewhere, from Afghanistan. Iranian security agencies informed us that Rigi was operating his organisation from the suburb of Quetta. On their information, we searched the whole area and later our Intelligence Agencies reported that he is living somewhere in Afghanistan, Interior Minister informed TheNation in an exclusive chat. Malik further said that Pakistan was cooperating with Iran and other countries against terrorism and in this regard Pakistan had already handed over some 18 most wanted outlaws, including the younger brother of Rigi, to Iran. Pakistan is sincere in its efforts to root out terrorism and if AbdolMalik Rigi is ever found in the country, our law enforcement agencies will definitely arrest him, he emphatically said. Iranian Deputy Interior Minister would soon be visiting Pakistan to discuss cross-border movement of people and other related issues along Pak-Iran border. I hope that the meeting with the Iranian officials would be of productive nature and proper strategy would be evolved to curb the menace of terrorism, Rehman Malik informed. Interior Minister also said that three check-posts of Rangers were established in the tribal areas of southern Punjab to stop infiltration of Taliban from South Waziristan and its adjoining areas to parts of Punjab. He added that the security agencies had already arrested some foreigners involved in terrorist activities on these check-posts. It merits mention here that elders of these tribal areas have raised alarms about the possible infiltration of Taliban escaping South Waziristan after the launch of military operation Rah-e-Nejat. Talking about the suicide attacks in International Islamic University, Malik said that it was not a security lapse. He said that the Islamic University was 20 kilometres away from the city and did not come in the security zone. The terrorist could not enter break into the security zones of Islamabad due to the strict checking on check-posts, so they targeted Islamic University that is out of the security zone, Interior Minister said. He said that he had visited the University and it was shocking for him that there was no boundary wall around the universitys limits. Malik told that the investigations have started and the security guard of the university has told the police that he saw the boy coming towards cafeteria but he did not stop him as he thought that the boy would be an employee of the cafeteria. Talking about the recent security threats to the educational institutions, Interior Minister said that the administrations of universities, colleges and schools did not like police and had their own security system. He stressed the need for trained security staff deployment at the educational and other institutions. He said that he has called a meeting today (Wednesday) to review the security arrangements in the federal capital. He said that the expansion of security zone and the proper security system for the important buildings, institutions and installations would be discussed and defined in the meeting. I have asked Capital Development Authority to hire trained security guards for their buildings and build boundary walls around their buildings, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said. To a question regarding elections in Gilgit- Baltistan, Interior Minister said that the law and order situation of the area was satisfactory.

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