LAHORE: The Punjab government has decided to conduct a detailed security audit of former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif’s residences in Lahore and his travel routes.
Sources told Jang that this decision was taken in a meeting of the Provincial Intelligence Committee held recently, which was presided over by the Additional Chief Secretary Interior Punjab.
In the meeting, DIG Operations Lahore, DIG CTD Punjab, Director Intelligence Bureau, Additional Secretary Internal Security, representatives of ISI and Military Intelligence, commissioner and police chief of Faisalabad, DIG Special Branch Intelligence while deputy commissioners and police chiefs of Faisalabad, Multan and Attock also participated in the meeting.
Sources said that the DIG Operations, Lahore, showed a highly confidential letter sent by the federal government to the members of the intelligence committee, saying the former prime minister is facing serious threats from the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The federal government has issued orders to ensure foolproof security for former prime minister.
Sources said that the intelligence committee decided that CCPO Lahore should immediately inform Shahbaz Sharif’s security team about the threat.
The DIG Operations told the committee that the security of Shehbaz Sharif has been increased and it is necessary to provide him four double cabin vehicles and police personnel who would escort him in his movement throughout the province.
Sources said CTD officials told the meeting that the TTP and Tehreek-e-Taliban Afghanistan have sleeper cells in Punjab. CTD officials revealed that most security guards recruited in various housing societies and schemes of Punjab belong to Afghanistan and tribal areas and majority of them are extremists’ sympathisers who could provide shelter and logistical support to the members of the sleeper cells.
CTD officials said that unfortunately none of the security guards from the housing schemes and societies were registered in the respective police stations. The CTD officials recommended to the Provincial Intelligence Committee that a fresh security audit of all security companies should be conducted immediately, making registration of the security guards with the respective police stations mandatory.