Police, BSF talk big, but security takes a back seat

ATTARI: Three days after the gate crash incident at the Wagah-Attari border followed by Union home minister Rajnath Singh's alert against a possible attack by Islamic State in India on Tuesday, there seems to be no difference in the security measures on the border stretch. Both police and Border Security Force (BSF) seem to have learnt no lesson except giving statements on 'further tightening' of security on the stretch.
TOI on Wednesday travelled towards the international border from Amritsar and found that temporary fortified posts, which were erected after the Dinanagar terror attack on July 27, were partly dismantled and unmanned with not even a single security barrier on the 18-km road stretch between India Gate Chowk to Attari.
Earlier three terrorists had reportedly crossed over from Pakistan and had struck at Dinanagar town of Gurdaspur district on July 27. Three days ago, a man managed to reach the 'Zero Line' in his car without being intercepted either by police or BSF.
About a kilometre from India Gate Chowk towards Attari is BSF's regional headquarters that has a small barrier, but it serves more to control the crowds coming for collecting passes for the daily 'Beating the Retreat' ceremony. Six and a half kilometres further, there is Chidden toll plaza where four-wheelers stop to pay toll tax.
Canadian national Surinder Singh Kang, who had rammed his vehicle in to the Pakistan's border gate after breaking several security barriers in his speeding SUV, had also crashed into the barrier at booth number 7 of Chidden toll plaza on Monday at 3.42 am. A CCTV grab of Kang's SUV and the record of toll plaza established the breach. However, no attempt was made to apprehend him from Chidden barrier to Attari, which is at about 8.5-km away from the toll plaza.
The incident had brought much embarrassment to BSF, which claimed to have taken extra precautionary measures.
There was no security barrier at Gharinda police station, about 2.5km from Chidden toll poll plaza. The fortified post on the road to Attari railway station was also dismantled with no security personnel manning it.
The integrated checkpost had a barricade and a BSF personnel was deployed close to Kahangarh post. TOI team was not allowed to move ahead of the barrier at Kahangarh post. has a big presence of Army in Khasa Cantonment, which comes under heavy security risk. Army spokesperson Naresh Vig informed that maintaining security on the Attari road was the job of police while they had their own safety arrangements in their area.
In 2009, gunmen had stormed Pakistan's elite police academy at Manawan, which is about 8km from the international border and had killed a dozen persons.