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| India-Pakistan |
| Taliban threats : NWFP government to use sniffer dogs for security |
| 2008-08-08 |
| The NWFP government has decided to employ sniffer dogs on sensitive locations as part of the beefed up security measures in the province. The decision was taken to ward off the threat of suicide attacks or other subversive activities by militants and terrorists operating in the tribal areas and Swat who issue warnings every now and then to the provincial government of suicide bombing and targeted killing. Sources told Daily Times that in the first phase, two detection dogs would be employed at the Chief Minister's Secretariat. In this connection, the source said, a letter requesting purchase of the sniffer dogs had been forwarded to the General Headquarters (GHQ) Rawalpindi. The source said arrival of the detection dogs at the CM Secretariat was expected in the coming two to three weeks. He said the provincial government had to pay Rs 500,000 for the purchase of two dogs. Two sniffer dogs have already been employed at the Governor's House. A security official told Daily Times that they were adopting measures to erect protective blocks against all sensitive buildings, offices and houses of the VIPs. As part of this plan, he said, protective slabs had already been erected against the outer walls of the provincial assembly, FATA Secretariat, the speaker and CM House and the CM Secretariat while several more areas had been located for the job. Use of trained dogs to detect explosives, arms and ammunition or drugs is quite a new phenomenon in this conservative province where majority of the people get offended at the sniffing of dog for being un-Islamic. However, the purchase of the special breed and well-trained dogs has become a compulsion in the aftermath of numerous threats to the NWFP government by Taliban leaders from Waziristan, Bajaur and Swat. The first such threat came last month from Baitullah Mehsud in South Waziristan who asked the Awami National Party-led government in NWFP to quit within five days or face the music. A similar warning came from head of Swat Taliban Mullah Fazlullah on July 27 who threatened of unleashing his "squad of suicide bombers" if the government launched military operation in the valley. The last such warning was issued by a Bajaur-based warlord Maulvi Omar on August 5 during a news conference. Omar, who is also spokesman for the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), said they would launch attacks against the government if operation in Swat was not stopped. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 ...where majority of the people get offended at the sniffing of dog for being un-Islamic. Oh, yeah? How do ya think the dogs feel having to sniff their fragrant asses? |
| Posted by: tu3031 2008-08-08 08:25 |