Abid Bashir
Srinagar (NVI): A day after the killing of J&K BJP leader Waseem Bari in Bandipora, Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbagh Singh today said that the security of protected persons will be reviewed in the UT and if necessary, security cover of those facing militant threats or are vulnerable to attacks will be enhanced in the days ahead.
Talking to reporters here, DGP Singh said that the killing of BJP leader Waseem Bari, his father Bashir Ahmed and brother Umer Bari, is a serious issue and has been taken very seriously by the police and other security agencies.
“Waseem was a very vocal leader, very active and always on the ground doing his political activity,” he said, adding that such people are always sought after targets of militant outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed.
The DGP said that Waseem was out of his house and when he returned, his Personal Security Officers (PSOs) went to their room to relax, which they should not have done. “Waseem sent to his shop-cum residence where his father and brother were present. The militant who has been identified as Abid Haqani fired at the trio with a silencer fitted pistol, which resulted in their killing while another foreign militant was also part of the act, who has been identified as well,” Singh said. “Both the militants belong to Lashkar-e-Taiba outfit.”
Entire security apparatus is on toes and a massive manhunt has been launched to track down the killers of Waseem and his family members, the DGP Singh said. “The people who are part of the political system and are carrying out political activities doesn’t suit Pakistan and militants. Though a large number of militants who were involved in the killing of civilians and political workers have been killed already, we will get the killers of Waseem very soon,” he said.
“Unfortunately, militants chose the evening time when forces had already withdrawn from the area,” the DGP added.
On whether there was a security lapse, he said Kashmir is a place where militants are keeping a gun with them always and that there may be certain kinds of loopholes, which were there because of “our own limitations.”
“Inspector General of Police and Deputy Inspector General of Police and DIG have already visited the site of the incident. The SSP Bandipora already suspended all 10 PSOs of the slain BJP leader for laxity in their duty. They have been arrested as well,” he said. “As I said, PSOs should not have relaxed and instead stayed with the protected person till he entered inside his room.”
-ARK
