Lahore’s local security agencies had been alerted in advance about a threat to the Sri Lankan cricket team but the Pakistani authorities did not give much credence to this.
Sources said on January 22, Pakistan’s security services were alerted by intelligence inputs that the visiting Sri Lankan team could come under jihadi attack. The intelligence was specific enough to point out that they could be targeted either in their hotel or on the way to Gaddafi Stadium.
The team followed regular security procedures which were no match for the terrorists. Pakistan is not unique. Indian security agencies had also gathered sufficient intelligence about the Mumbai attacks, that it would be launched from the sea etc, at least a couple of months before the actual attack. But this intelligence was not acted upon, either by the Maharashtra state or the hotels, leading to one of the bloodiest terrorist attacks India has ever witnessed.
The July 7, 2008 attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul too had been predicted by intelligence inputs - so there is clearly a tradition of not obeying intelligence warnings of impending threats.
On Wednesday too, Chris Broad, an ICC match referee, went on record to say that the police simply vanished when their bus came under attack. “There was not a sign of a policeman anywhere,” Broad said after his arrival back in the UK. “They had clearly left the scene and left us to be sitting ducks.”
He said their bus was stationary after the driver was killed by terrorists. Broad was quoted as saying that Pakistan had promised “presidential-style security” but “it was not there when we needed it”.
However, Pakistan’s cricket authorities have refuted Broad’s account. They said the convoy transporting the Sri Lankan team and cricket officials was surrounded by police vehicles at the front, rear and sides, but travelled the same route each day.
Video footage from surveillance cameras showed several attackers apparently escaping along a deserted side street on motorcycles while carrying weapons. Three of them were also shown walking casually down the middle of the street, apparently in no hurry to escape, indicating they did not believe police were in the area or hunting them.
This news Published by www.apakistannews.com
