LARKANA, DEC 25, (DNA) – Four suspects were arrested from around Garhi Khuda Bakhsh Bhutto where police have been making elaborate arrangements for safety and security of Pakistan Peoples Party leaders, activists and supporters arriving in large groups to participate in the 9th death anniversary of slain prime minister Benazir Bhutto being observed on Tuesday.

“The suspects were picked up on a lead given by four outlaws arrested a fortnight ago for their alleged connections with the terrorists involved in certain bombing incidents that had occurred in the past in Shikarpur and Jacobabad,” Larkana DIG Abdullah Shaikh told newsmen while briefing them on Saturday about a security plan for the Dec 27 anniversary programme to be held at Bhuttos’ mausoleum in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh Bhutto.

The DIG said that the fresh arrests were part of a crackdown currently under way in the Larkana region on intelligence-based information. “They are being interrogated,” he added.

“Foolproof security arrangements, more extensive than the previous year’s event, have been made for the occasion,” he said.

Giving details, the DIG said that around 6,800 officers and personnel would be deployed. He said the personnel would be directly supervised and monitored by 32 SSP- and 71 DSP-level officers at 26 selected points. Around 300 Rangers men would also be deployed at places specified as sensitive.

As part of the security plan, he said, equipment and gadgets including walk-through scanners and closed-circuit TV (CCTV) cameras were being installed at various places in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh Bhutto.

The DIG, however, made it clear that “there is no specific security threat” and explained that the arrangements were being made keeping in view the incidents of terrorism that had taken place in the past within this [Larkana police range] region. DIG Shaikh said that a strict watch

was being maintained at the entry/exit points along the Sindh-Balochistan border. The border districts falling within the Larkana police range are Qambar-Shahdadkot, Kashmor-Khandkot and Jacobabad, besides Larkana. Any person or vehicle passing through the points

would be allowed to move on only after necessary security checks to be conducted by personnel present at the check posts, he said. Meanwhile, Larkana PPP women’s wing met at Kennedy Market on Saturday to review the arrangements made by party leaders and cadres for the anniversary programme.

Former minister Tauqeer Fatima Bhutto, Nasiban Channa, Dr Sakina Gaad and others attended the meeting where former PPP Larkana district general secretary Abdul Fatah Bhutto was specially invited.

The meeting decided to form a women’s volunteers force to look after security at ladies’ gatherings in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh Bhutto on Tuesday. The decision was taken in view of a huge number of women expected to take part in the programme and possibility of mismanagement or security lapse leading to an untoward incident.=DNA

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