NEW DELHI: A day before Home Minister Rajnath Singh visits to Pakistan amidst threats of protest by LeT founder Hafiz Saeed, the BSF today said it was sure the Pak Rangers and other authorities there will take adequate measures to foil the plans of the terror mastermind.
Calling Saeed’s plans of undertaking massive protests and march towards the Attari-Wagah border when Singh steps on Pakistani soil a “political” move, Border Security Force chief K K Sharma said the border guarding forces on both sides have been “sensitised” and they will ensure that the SAARC Home Ministers meeting to be held tomorrow in Islamabad is not disrupted.
“This (Saeed’s protest call) is the internal matter of Pakistan and I am very sure that my counterparts Pak Rangers are more than competent to handle this issue. I am sure this (Saeed’s threat) is not going to disrupt the SAARC meeting. Hafiz Saeed will not be successful,” he said.
Sharma, who only last week returned from Pakistan after holding the annual bilateral Director General-level talks with the Rangers, said both the forces have also discussed measures to mount effective vigil at the Attari-Wagah border which is thronged by large crowds that witness the daily retreat ceremony in the evening.
A blast in 2014 at Wagah on the Pakistan side had killed over 50 people after the retreat ceremony got over.
“Yes, this was one issue that was taken up with Pak Rangers…Both of us are conscious of the fact that the threat is there and consequently we both have strengthened our security measures. We have done it on our side (of the border) and they have done it on their side. I am sure they (Rangers) will handle it (Saeed’s threat to march towards Wagah) well,” he said on the sidelines of an event here.
The BSF DG added at least four battalions of the force (about 4,000 personnel) have been recently deployed on the Punjab frontier and two in Jammu to further fortify security measures and the counter-infiltration grid along the Indo-Pak International Border (IB) running along the two states.
“The LoC in Kashmir is under army and I would not like to comment on that,” he said when asked about similar measures in this area. (agencies)
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