ith the threat of terrorist attacks from the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) surging and the elite intelligence agencies of the country issuing regular warnings to take precaution and preventive measures, the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) police is making feverish efforts to be better equipped and prepared to prevent any untoward incident in the federal capital.

The ICT police have already lost colleagues trying to prevent a major terrorist attack in the thickly populated I-10 sector near a fruit and vegetable market. The top bosses are devising strategies and fine tuning early warning and preventive measures against terror attacks.

The intelligence agencies have warned that TTP terrorists are planning to target some high profile targets like diplomats, prominent politicians, sensitive installations and security personnel. These attacks are reportedly being planned all over the country.

Over the last two months, the TTP has been targeting security institutions, especially the police.

The responsibilities shouldered by the ICT police are somewhat different than the provincial forces. While it has a smaller jurisdiction to protect, it has the most important and high-profile institutions and individuals to take care of. These include the diplomatic corps, the federal cabinet, the parliament and parliamentarians, the Supreme Court and the High Court.

The Islamabad Police prevented a major strike in the I-10 sector when they stopped a suspected vehicle. During the search, the suicide bomber(s) blew themselves up and the policeman at the picket lost his life.

In another attack, two persons riding a motorbike opened fire at a police picket in the G-9 sector and killed an official. Both terrorists were killed on the spot when the police retaliated.

Even as the terrorists are seen primarily targeting the police, the ICT Police say, the morale is high. They say they are determined to track, trace and neutralise the terrorists.

Sources in the police say that over the last two years they have installed an electronic entry/ exit system for the Red Zone. They say CCTV cameras have also been installed in markets and shopping malls and linked with the Safe City Command.

Police teams deployed at strategic pickets have been equipped with a biometric verification system. A new Sector Safety Patrolling unit has been raised for effective monitoring of movement of suspects.

Snap searches and combing operations are being conducted. While this can cause some inconvenience for the public, it is a very effective measure against terrorists.

The police have also activated all their 21 telecommunication towers under the Safe City Project.

The registration of hotel guests through Hotel Eye software has also been made operational. Tenant and domestic help registration is being promoted through public service messages. A Knock the Door campaign has been launched to register tenants and employees on a door-to-door basis.

Following the attempted suicide attack in I-10 and the attack on the police picket in G-9, the design of police pickets and checking mechanisms is being improved. For this purpose, the K9 squad has been made a part of deployment at the most sensitive pickets.

A new centralised Eagle Patrolling Squad has been trained and an Anti-Riot Unit established besides a Special Protection Unit. The Pukar-15 response time has been improved and the Violent Extremism Prevention Unit has been revamped.

The police are coordinating with other law enforcing agencies in Islamabad. A memorandum of understanding has been signed with the FIA and Interpol on sharing criminals’ data.

The Islamabad Police are also registering all Afghan citizens in the federal capital.

The writer is the author of Who Assassinated Benazir Bhutto. He is the crime correspondent for The News in Islamabad. He has been associated with journalism for longer than four decades