Pakistan: Sikandar Hayat saga: Inquiry reveals multiple security agency failures

The Express Tribune

An unofficial report released by the inquiry committee for the Sikandar Hayat saga has pointed out that there were major failures in the communication mechanisms of security forces during the incident on August 15, when an armed man and his wife engaged security forces for over six hours in Islamabad, Express News reported. Led by Additional Secretary Ministry of the Interior Ather Sayal, the findings of the committee stated that security forces and the police had been unsuccessful in preparing a well planned strategy to deal with the situation, adding that the incident had been prolonged unnecessarily.

According to the findings of the committee, police officials blamed the bizarre unfolding of events on the Rangers, who had arrived at the scene, and Zamrud Khan, who had ventured close to Sikandar and attempted to grab him. The findings reveal that the Rangers refused to take part in the operation against Sikandar when approached, stating they would only act if a proper order was brought to them, Express News representative Sohail Chaudhry reported. The committee has proposed that an SOP between all security forces operating in Islamabad should be established in order to avoid any such security failure in the future. The committee also recommended that the weapons of the Islamabad police, including sniper guns that they allegedly did not have, be upgraded and available. Sikandar stable A Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) spokesperson has confirmed with the media that Sikandar’s condition is stable. The gunman has been declared out of danger and has reportedly started talking, although he is still under intensive care.