Pakistan: Militants openly using cell-phones in jails

The Express Tribune

An intelligence agency’s report reveals that high-profile terror suspects are flouting laws and using mobile phones in their prison cells to contact their accomplices in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and settled regions. The report was forwarded by the Punjab police chief to the concerned officials. The letter states that militants detained in Adiala, Haripur and Kot Lakhpat prisons are using cell phones to coordinate with their accomplices. This coordination includes planning and fundraising for terrorist activities. Two militants identified to be doing this while in prison are Qari Waqas in Kot Lakhpat prison and Shamsul Islam in Haripur jail. A separate intelligence report reveals that India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), in collaboration with Afghan spy agency, planned attacks on Chinese diplomats and other foreigners across Pakistan. The focus however, according to the report, is on Chinese diplomats based in Islamabad. Al Qaeda militants, meanwhile, are planning kidnapping /assassinations of diplomats in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) embassy and consulates across Pakistan in ‘the near future’ and attack their missions with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). Yet another intelligence report states that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) members based in Miramshah, North Waziristan, planned attacks against law enforcement agencies – specifically, on police patrols near hotels and petrol pumps. In addition, the TTP is planning attacks on two Army Public Schools located in Rawalpindi. Terrorists are also planning to target Wah Cantonment installations, and for this purpose, a suicide bomber identified as Obaidullah is being trained near Latamber in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, according to sources. The suspect has visited Wah several times for reconnaissance of the target. Another report revealed that a terrorist with the alias Zarar, operating in Waziristan region, has planned terrorist attacks in Swat and Murree. These intelligence reports have been forwarded to the National Crisis Management Cell of the interior ministry, provincial home departments, provincial police chiefs and provincial heads of other law enforcement agencies.