Islamabad: A police official with
"established links" to al Qaeda terror network was assigned to
protect VVIPs in the Pakistani city of Lahore "many times",
according to a media report on Wednesday.
The official served at the Prime Minister`s House in
Lahore and at the Federal Investigation Agency`s main office
in Lahore, The Express Tribune quoted its sources as saying.
Intelligence officials said the official, who was not
identified, was a resident of Rawalpindi district but had
managed to get himself declared a domicile of Lahore district
and was recruited in Punjab Police on the basis of a forged
certificate.
The official was assigned to protect former Chief
Minister and senior PML-Q leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi in the
past.
He was suspended when intelligence agencies
established his links with al Qaeda. He was also detained by
security agencies for questioning.
The official "not only got back his job after some
time" but was assigned to the security detail of the Prime
Minister`s House in Lahore and the FIA office till December
last year, the report said.
Subsequently, the FIA banned his entry into its
offices "but surprisingly the police brass is still reluctant
to take action against the police official notwithstanding his
established links with al Qaeda", the report said.
The FIA``s main office in Lahore was twice targeted by
terrorists in recent years and officials keep receiving
threats of more attacks.
Questions have also been raised about the security for
VVIPs after Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer was assassinated by
a police guard Mumtaz Qadri last month.
Qadri was included in the security details of several
top leaders, including the Prime Minister, even though he was
removed from the Special Branch several years ago after being
declared a "security risk".
PTI
