Islamabad police who had caught a local private security agency -- InterRisk -- carrying on 'anti-state activities' in the service of Americans have handed over the investigations into the case to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on the orders of the Interior Ministry.
Though not formally announced, Dawn has learned that the reason given was that the nature of charges makes it the responsibility of FIA to probe the case which incidentally has all the makings of Blackwater covert operations in Pakistan under new names and with local partners.
The investigation was assigned to the FIA as some big shots, including officials in the Interior Ministry, were allegedly involved in arranging the licences of the prohibited bore and granting permission to the US embassy to import prohibited weapons.
Shortly after the orders, the two accused -- Capt (retd) Syed Alija Zaidi, owner of InterRisk security company and Jamil Abbasi, a facilitator who arranged the prohibited bore licences -- were handed over to the FIA. The two accused were arrested by the Kohsar Police during a raid on the house of the retired captain on September 19 and recovered weapons and forged licences.
The police handed over to the FIA the records recovered from the house of the main accused. The FIA has got physical remand of the accused from the court of a magistrate.According to sources during preliminary investigation, it was revealed that the two accused had established contacts with some officials of the interior ministry and a foreign diplomat through internet asking for money to make licences of prohibited bore and to import arms.
Sources close to the investigation revealed that the accused demanded Rs100,000 for arranging the licences of prohibited bore. They also received a hefty amount for importing weapons for Americans illegally.
Police high ups in a report sent to the government, said that Capt Zaidi also owned a company, Care and Craft, operating in Rawat. The company, along with an American private security company, DynCorp, imparted training to retired security personnel of the Special Services Group (SSG) for the security of US installations and diplomats in Pakistan.
The report further said that another security company, Walkinhut, owned by one Dr Iqtadar, is also providing security to the US diplomats and its installations in the capital. The US embassy or diplomats have hired over 240 houses on rent at different locations in the federal capital, where nearly 500 foreigners from the US and Asian countries were residing.
However, sources close to the investigation said that the number of houses had reached to 329, located in capital's urban as well as rural areas, including Tarnol, Golra, Sihala, and Kural. The houses were hired at Rs70,000 to Rs300,000 rents per month.
Some 70 houses hired by the US embassy were vacated when the Pakistan security agencies spotted them, the sources said, adding that it raised the suspicion that something illegal was going on there.
The InterRisk provides security to different foreign installations and diplomats in Islamabad. It is owned by Capt (retd) Syed Alija Zaidi who served in Artillery Regiment of the Pakistan Army and forced to get premature retirement.
In 2008 the interior ministry, on the Gen Musharraf government's recommendation, allowed the American private security company, DynCorp, to operate in Pakistan for a year from January 2008 to January 2009. InterRisk entered into an agreement with DynCorp to provide security to American installations, diplomats and security personnel.
The company trained security guards in anti-terrorism skills. The InterRisk company, in this regard, was asked to recruit security guards, especially retired SSG personnel for DynCorp and arranged a location where they would be trained in anti-terrorism skills. An advertisement was also published for the recruitment of security guards against Rs34,000 salary. InterRisk received $2,000 per recruit. Its sister company Care and Craft recently provided training to 200 personnel and deployed them with the DynCorp stationed in Islamabad and elsewhere in Pakistan. The two companies continued their operations with DynCorp even after the expiry of the permission period granted by the government.
Some months ago, DynCorp asked InterRisk company's owner to arrange licences of over 130 foreign made prohibited bore weapons -- Rifle M45.56 and SMG-7.62 -- but he showed reluctance. Later, Jamil Abbasi, who hails from Murree and is affiliated with a political party, arranged 134 licences for Rs100,000 each for InterRisk with the help of Asadur Rehman who has links in the interior ministry.
Later, many sophisticated weapons of prohibited bore were imported illegally with the alleged connivance of some government officials.
It maybe mentioned here that only the Prime Minister can issue licences of prohibited bore. Private security guards are allowed to carry only non-prohibited bores. However, those guards who patrol dangerous areas threatened by robbers and terrorists are allowed to carry prohibited bore after getting the licences from the competent authority. The sources further said that the InterRisk's investigation was taken away from the city police as they were reluctant to take action against the big shots.
On a number of occasions the US diplomats were found freely moving in the capital with illegal arms. The security personnel from the US were also involved in a kidnapping attempt of a senator's nephew. However, no action was taken against them as they enjoyed diplomatic immunity.
Sources in the police department said that the US diplomats frequently met with senior police officials to 'strengthen mutual cooperation'.
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