Nisar says security plan for Islamabad being prepared after standoff

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said on Friday a comprehensive security plan is being prepared for the safety of the Federal Capital Islamabad.   

Addressing a news conference in Lahore on Friday‚ he said computerized record will be prepared of all government servants and other people living in the Capital.  

Referring to the arrest of gunman Sikandar Hayat‚ Interior Minister lauded role of PPP leader Zumarud Khan but said security personnel should not have allow anyone to go close to the culprits.

He ordered suspension of all Police officials who allowed Zummard Khan to break the siege and went close to the gunman.

He said Sikandar is now out of danger and he would be interrogated for his act of rowdiness.

The gunman accompanied by his wife and children brought Islamabad to a standstill on Thursday by waving two sub-machine guns and occasionally firing into the air.

The standoff that lasted for five hours eventually ended after Sikandar and his wife were shot and arrested when the PPP member lunged at him.

“The policemen shot Sikandar in the chest and on his leg after Zamarud stepped in. The third bullet hit his wife,” Nisar said, “but we had wanted to avoid all casualties.”

“We didn’t want any firing,” he added, claiming that Sikandar Hayat was two kilometres away from the Red Zone.

The interior minister said that when he was told of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Nabeel Gabol’s arrival at the site, he urged that he be kept away, saying that “security measures should be left to the security agencies.”

Talking about the demands made by Sikandar, he said that his first demand was for the release of his son, who is imprisoned in Dubai.

“Secondly, he said that he wanted employment here at any embassy,” he stated, adding that the armed man was not connected to any terrorist organisation but was not mentally sound.

Nisar said that they could have easily fired at Sikandar but “there was no guarantee that he wouldn’t have fired back.” He also said that there was no guarantee that the firing would have incapacitated him.

He lashed out at the media coverage of the whole drama and said that restrictions should be placed on the media so this doesn’t happen in the future.

“We had made a plan to switch all the street lights off and then carry out an operation in the dark but Zamarud had already stepped in,” he said, claiming that they just wanted “15 minutes” from the media.

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Posted by Tahir Khan on Aug 16 2013. Filed under Latest News, National, Pakistan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.