[Critics say Pakistan’s police force is notoriously corrupt and lacking in resources, and hiring and firing often is determined by political influence. It is also hard to distinguish the extremists from other officers who are simply conservative Muslims. “There is no test that can tell you how you can separate the two,” said Khan. “If you fire people unjustly, you will send them straight into the hands of the radicals, and they know the ins and outs of the security services.”]
Associated Press
The documents, obtained by The Associated Press, highlight the danger of extremist infiltration into the security forces of the unstable, nuclear-armed country. The police force, which helps form the front line in the war against Taliban and al-Qaida militants, is seen as being especially at risk.
“There is no psychological or personality test, or any other method to check on the background of personnel,” a former police chief of Punjab province, Khwaja Khalid Farooq, told the AP. “It is dangerous to give someone a gun and power without putting them through a good system of recruitment and training.”
Concern about infiltration spiked last week with the assassination of Punjab Governor Salman Taseer by bodyguard Mumtaz Qadri. The 26-year-old said he killed the governor, an outspoken liberal, because of his criticism of laws that mandate the death penalty for insulting Islam.
“I think it’s a problem that cannot now be ignored because there has been a manifestation of it in a very dangerous way,” said Talat Masood, an analyst and former Pakistani general.
Moderates were also shocked to see tens of thousands of Qadri sympathisers marching through the streets.
Qadri was declared “not suitable for any sensitive security duty” in 2004, along with 10 other policemen who were found to be connected to different sectarian organisations, according to a police document seen by the AP.
That one-time review was prompted by a series of assassination attempts against then-President Pervez Musharraf, which officials suspected may have been abetted by security officials, said Farooq, the former police chief.
Despite the red flag, Qadri transferred to Pakistan’s elite police force in 2008 and was assigned to protect the president and prime minister multiple times, as well as the interior minister, main opposition leader, supreme court chief justice and two foreign delegations, according to another police report.
Qadri was assigned to protect Taseer 10 times before riddling him with gunfire outside a market in Islamabad on January 4. A police document dated six days later recommended the firing of four other commandos who were suspected of having extremist sympathies. It said the men, named by Qadri, “have some extreme/religious trends and can possibly take terrorist action anytime in future.”
Authorities also demanded that the head of the police unit protecting high-ranking officials thoroughly screen all his officers for potential radicals. But the unit’s head, Khalid Masood, said he lacks the means to comply.
“We do not know who is who and who has what background,” Masood told the AP.
The challenges of implementing an effective vetting system throughout the police force are extremely high, said Akbar Nasir Khan, who recently served as the police chief in the central Pakistani city of Mianwali.
Critics say Pakistan’s police force is notoriously corrupt and lacking in resources, and hiring and firing often is determined by political influence. It is also hard to distinguish the extremists from other officers who are simply conservative Muslims. “There is no test that can tell you how you can separate the two,” said Khan. “If you fire people unjustly, you will send them straight into the hands of the radicals, and they know the ins and outs of the security services.”
The army does a better job of screening because it is much more professional and conducts regular psychological examinations of its officers, said Shuja Nawaz, a Pakistan expert at the US-based Atlantic Council.
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[The White House official said the US President through his visit, recognised that there are emerging powers around the globe that are increasingly important, India being among them.]
LALIT K JHA/PTI
Washington, Jan 13: The US encourages Indo-Pak dialogue to ensure stability in South Asia, the White House has said, while describing India as an “important partner”.
It also noted that President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh share a deep personal rapport on a host of global issues.
“The President (Obama) recognises that India is an important partner and certainly critical in the region, and that in order to ensure stability in South Asia, we wanted to encourage dialogue between India and Pakistan,” Mike Hammer, spokesperson of the National Security Council, told foreign journalists in New York and Washington, at a news conference.
“That’s something that we continue to support when there are efforts there.
“Because the more confidence and trust that can be built between those two nations, the more able everyone else is to focus on really the challenges of extremism and terrorism that are a threat to us all,” Hammer said in response to a question. He said Obama’s visit to India in November reflected all elements of Indo-US relationship.
“It’s not only a question of the security interests of both countries, but the economic interests of both countries, the cultural ties between both countries. And we’re very encouraged. “I think what you’ve seen is an evolving deep, personal relationship between the President and Prime Minister (Manmohan) Singh. This is something that we’re very optimistic and positive about, I think you’re going to see increasing cooperation between both our countries, including recently some decisions by India with regards to Iran and financing,” Hammer said.
The White House official said the US President through his visit, recognised that there are emerging powers around the globe that are increasingly important, India being among them.
“We saw the very important and successful visit the President made last November to India. We’ve had a state visit with Prime Minister Singh. And that’s a strategic partnership that continues to grow and is, I think, in the interest of both countries and the world to try to continue on that path,” he said.
India had stopped composite dialogue with Pakistan after the November 2008 attacks on Mumbai, which it blamed on Pakistan based militants.
@ Greater Kashmir
@ Greater Kashmir
