ISLAMABAD: Vehicles laden with explosives, detonators, weapons and ammunition were able to evade security checks at three of Islamabad’s most upscale localities.

Fortunately for everyone, these vehicles did not belong to terrorists; rather, they were part of a law enforcement exercise, conducted by the Special Branch to test the effectiveness of security measures at these key locations.

Sources in the police department told Dawn that in all three cases, the vehicle in question made it past all security checks deployed at the three locations.

At each site, security personnel examined the vehicle’s engine and trunk, while low-mounted cameras and sniffer dogs were used to scan the vehicle at the entrance to a luxury hotel located in the Red Zone.

However, the personnel at the gate did not notice anything amiss and waved the vehicle through.

Following the detection of such major loopholes in their security, law enforcement personnel presented three vehicles to security staff at each location and warned them that one of the vehicles contained explosives.

However, despite their best efforts, the security personnel were still unable to find them.

Earlier, the capital’s police force had used the bomb detectors deployed at the shopping mall to check for explosives at the site of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s rally in the city on May 11.

According to police, the equipment at the mall was far more advanced than anything available to them. However, following the exposure of major loopholes in their security, police may have to revisit this claim.

The Special Branch decided to check the security system of important places and buildings in the wake of the prevailing security situation in the country.

Officials in the police said there were intelligence reports that militants might target the buildings in retaliation for recent air strikes in North Waziristan.

One of the luxury hotels in question was attacked by militants in 2008 in which 63 people were killed and 262 others injured.

Regarding the loopholes in the security system, the Special Branch sent a report to the Central Police Office and the Islamabad capital territory administration with a suggestion to make the security arrangements satisfactory.

It was also suggested that a standard operating procedure (SOP) should be prepared about the security of these buildings, including training of the security guards and upgradation of their equipment.

“As a first step, the bomb disposal squad imparted training to the security staff in handling equipment to trace explosives and weapons in vehicles,” the officials added.

There is a need to replace the equipment and gadgets being used to trace explosives and weapons with modern ones which can produce result, they said.

Published in Dawn, June 6th, 2014