Official held, scanner on Intelligence

A blame-game has begun between the country’s top intelligence agencies to shift the responsibility of security lapses that caused two s...

A blame-game has begun between the country’s top intelligence agencies to shift the responsibility of security lapses that caused two separate attacks on President Musharraf’s motorcade within 11 days in Rawalpindi last month. Professional efficiency of at least two top intelligence agencies is under assessment.

On Sunday, Pakistan police detained an intelligence official and 11 others, including a suspected activist of the banned Jaish-e-Muhammad, in connection with the December 25 attack. Special forces of police raided a mosque in Lahore and detained 10 people after the arrest of the intelligence official, Muhammad Naeem, who allegedly tipped off one of the the suicide bombers about the movements of musharraf.

The matter is of grave concern as the two suicide bombers, who attacked the President’s motorcade on December 25, also had links with the country’s premier intelligence agency before they went to fight in Afghanistan against the Northern Alliance a few years ago, The Nation learnt from reliable sources.

The suicide bombers were even captured by joint US-Northern Alliance troops, and were among the Pakistani jehadis arrested in Afghanistan who Islamabad got released after negotiations. Nursing a feeling of betrayal, these suicide bombers, investigators believe, planned to kill the President.

There was a third bomber ready to attack the motorcade with a vehicle loaded with explosives. However, the driver, investigators believe, probably lost his nerve and ran away when the SGS commandoes opened fire.

Sources told The Nation that there was a serious security lapse in the first blast as well, in which the terrorists blew off a portion of Ammar Bridge. (The Nation)