Militants in military uniform
Of late it has been noticed that terrorists have been using military uniform for gaining access and attacking their targets. There are many examples in which militants have dressed in uniforms used by security personnel to either ease their way to the outer cordons of secure installations or to wield an air of authority that initially masks their intent. Shia passengers in four buses were shot dead in Mansehra by terrorists in commando uniforms. In Kohistan in February, on a similar attack on Shia bus passengers, the gunmen were also in military uniform, as were the militants who in October 2009 attacked GHQ in Rawalpindi. Similarly, militants who intruded in PNS Mehran air base in May 2011 and in PAF air base Minhas Kamara in August this year also took advantage of military uniform for gaining access in to their targets.
However, after the attack on GHQ in October 2009 by the militants who were dressed in army uniform it was decided by the GHQ that all shops selling different items of military uniforms in the local market will be closed to deny unauthorized persons to purchase these items freely. But this decision was never implemented. There are thousands of shops in the country supplying all the items of army, navy, rangers, coast guards and police which include rank badges, unit shoulder signs, caps, cap badges, arm bands, belts, boots, stitched uniforms and availability of cloth for any type of uniform. There are also tailors in the local market where one can get uniform stitched/altered. In a barber shop one can also get military style haircut. Similarly, all types of military cloth and stitched uniforms, boots, belts and caps etc, are also available in huge quantity for open sale in the local ‘Lunda Bazar’ in every city of the country.
It is pertinent to note that no item of PAF uniform is allowed for selling in the local market. All uniform items of the PAF are controlled stores and new items are issued to PAF personnel only after their uniform items are rendered unserviceable through fair wear and tear. PAF personnel have to return these unserviceable items are put before a ‘Board of Officers’ for converting them in to cleaning rags after tearing them in to small pieces. Hence, there are no chances of misusing any item of PAF uniform.
I would request the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Pak Army General Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani to take notice of this security lapse on the part of the concerned in the Pakistan Army to take action on the same pattern as taken by the PAF.
Sqn Ldr (retd) S Ausaf Husain
Karachi
