Checkpoints in Peshawar fail to deter militants

There are around 40 security checkpoints and scores of Rider Squad personnel in the capital city’s rural and urban areas but still, acts of terrorism are on the rise exposing the inefficiency of law-enforcement agencies. There is no check on movement of suicide bombers and target killers and they can reach their target very easily when and wherever they want. The suicide bombings of Judicial Complex and the commandant of Frontier Constabulary, planting of a magnet bomb at a passenger van in Mattani area and the recent terrorist attack on an Awami National Party rally in Yakatoot area are enough to prove that the law-enforcement agencies are a failure by and large. In the city, putting up security checkpoints across the city may be an effective way to counter terrorism in the eyes of the government but in actual fact, they have miserably failed to live up to the people’s expectations. Law-enforcement agencies are increasing the number of checkpoints in the city, but ironically so is the case with terrorist attacks. Road users have to wait for a long time to cross checkpoints, especially during in the morning and evening. Long queues of vehicles are seen on key roads, especially those in cantonment areas, due to these checkpoints, where every motorist or motorcyclist has to prove his/her identity. Until March 29 this year, there was no metal detector at security checkpoints but only one scanner was installed for pedestrians at Fakhr-i-Alam Road following the March 29 suicide attack on a vehicle of Frontier Constabulary Commandant Abdul Majeed Marwat. The commandant remained unhurt, however. On the rest of checkpoints, personnel of security forces and police check identity cards and seldom carry out bodysearch. In the past, these personnel had manual metal detectors to find weapons and explosives. But the device is no more with them. And perhaps that is the reason why these checkpoints are unable to stop terrorists from reaching their targets even in well-guarded areas. A footage of closed-circuit television camera shows that the bomber, who attacked the FC commandant, was wearing white clothes and standing along Fakhr-i-Alam Road who blew himself up when the vehicle of Mr Marwat came close to him. The footage does not show who brought the bomber to the spot or from where he arrived there. Had there been some metal detectors with security personnel, the bomber would have not succeeded in his mission. A police official said the bomber, who attacked Mr Marwat, had reached there in the garb of a man selling fruit on a pushcart. When contacted, officials of various police stations in limits of Peshawar cantonment confirmed they had neither arrested any high-profile terrorist during the last one year nor had they seized explosives on these checkpoints as they had to take action on basis of information. “How a terrorist can cross security checkpoints. There are many other entry and exit points for such people,” an official of East Cantonment police station said. He, however, suggested that some powerful metal detectors should be given to personnel manning security checkpoints on Khyber Road, Mall Road and University Road so that the people carrying explosives or weapons could be held and as a result, road users would not suffer in long queues. On the other hand, these checkpoints have made lives of the people miserable. The worst sufferers are those using checkpoints in the limits of Michini Gate, East Cantonment and West Cantonment police stations. The checkpoint on University Road (Gora Qabristan) is very difficult for motorists to cross as sometimes, queue of vehicles is seen up to KFC outlet. Also, checkpoints near Peshtakhara police station and near provincial assembly building are very irritating for road users. An official of the Michini Gate said all suspected people were dealt with by security forces and that police had no access to them. The people coming from Hayatabad to cantonment usually avoid these security checkpoints by using Ring Road but that road, too, often sees traffic jams at some points. During the last few days, at least five new checkpoints manned by police and security forces were set up on different roads, including Sir Syed Road, the Mall Road, Fakhr-i-Alam Road. The checkpoint near Peshawar Press Club also stresses out motorists and motorcyclists. Meanwhile, police criticise the local government department and cantonment board for failure to register pushcarts. “We have time and again asked them to register pushcarts and issue them some code numbers or licences, but to no avail,” the official said. There are complaints that police manning checkpoints in rural areas mint money from people. As put by a road user, had policemen checked the movement of suspected people, the incidents like attack on Shaikh Mohammadi grid station would have never happened. On some roads, police have built walls outside police stations hindering flow of traffic. By doing so, police may have secured themselves against terrorism to some extent but what is unfortunate that the move has left the people in distress.