Concerned with lack of security guidelines for private companies involved in design and manufacture of critical defence components, the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) has come out with a set of recommendations to make India’s Defence industry highly secure

By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad:  Concerned with lack of security guidelines for
private companies involved in design and manufacture of critical
defence components, the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry
of India (Assocham) has come out with a set of recommendations to make
India’s Defence industry highly secure.

The Assocham on Friday submitted the recommendations to the Ministry
of Defence. A number of private companies are involved in the design
and development of critical components used by Defence units and Armed
Forces. In the absence of security audit, there is every danger of the
critical technology falling into the wrong hands.

“During the process of issue of licences to private companies for
design, development and manufacture of Defense items, it has been felt
that there is a need to institute a system of security audit of
private sector defence companies to ensure that security of the
defence services is not compromised with the grant of industrial
licence to such companies,” the Assocham said.

The Assocham noted that every private company seeking a Department of
Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) licence for defence-related
activity should put in place its own elaborate security instructions
to ensure adequate security

“The Ministry of Defence needs to additionally ensure that all private
sector defence companies meet a certain minimum security criterion
based on a standardised template, acceptable to both sides. This
template, in severity, should be divided into three types, in
conformity with the sensitivity of the type of products and services
being provided by such companies,” it said.

The Assocham recommended that the template cover three sets of
security audit aspects under the headings – high, medium and low.  The
onus of deciding the category under which any private sector defence
company should fall from the security audit point of view would lie
with the Department of Defence Production (DDP) of the Defence Ministry.

Mumbai Terror Attack: Pakistan is bound by "duty to cooperate" to hand over terror masterminds

January 5, 2009
By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad, Jan 4: Pakistan is bound by "duty to cooperate" under international law to hand over to India those involved in the Mumbai terror attacks.
According to former Union law secretary Dr P Chandrasekhar Rao, who is presently a judge in the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, though there's no formal extradition treaty between India and Pakistan, the latter is bound by "duty to cooperate" with India. It is also bound under international law to investigate into the evidence produced by India and try the terror masterminds on its soil.
He, however, said India cannot compel Pakistan legally to surrender its nationals. Also India cannot approach the International Court of Justice against Pakistan. He said no international court is competent to look into the matter unless both India and Pakistan agree to subject to its jurisdiction.
"But since it was not an ordinary offence and the terror master plan was executed on the Indian territory, Pakistan should hand over India those behind the Mumbai and other terror attacks. It is appropriate that the terror suspects are put on trial on the Indian soil as there's enough material of evidence here. India is the convenient forum to deal with the accused. Full justice can be done only if the trial is done in India," Dr Rao told this correspondent.
The existence of an extradition treaty is not a prerequisite for surrendering of terror suspects, particularly in cases like Mumbai terror attack, which is an onslaught on the political independence and territorial integrity of India. Pakistan is under strict obligation under international law either to prosecute the terror suspects or extradite them to India.
"Pakistan can now do two things. Because of the duty to cooperate, it should investigate and gather its own evidence. Or it should look into evidence furnished by India and see in what respect it should provide evidence to surrender them to India," he said. Mohammad Amir Kasab,the lone surviving terrorist in the Mumbai attack, has already written a letter to Pakistani authorities seeking legal assistance.
There's prima facie evidence pointing towards suspects in Pakistan. In terror related offences strict proof becomes practically difficult. Prima facie it should be taken and acted up. Pakistan should act in good faith. Whether Pakistan as a state is involved or not, it is bound under international law not to allow its territory in a manner prejudicial to the territorial integrity or political independence of India.
"Pakistan, therefore, cannot use the non-state actors doctrine as an excuse for what has happened. It cannot wash off its hands by saying that the persons who perpetrated this offence in India are non-state actors. It cannot also say that similar attacks also take place in its territory. It cannot be used as a justification. Moreover Kashmir conflict cannot be taken as an excuse," he said.
Dr Rao said in law "continuous state of denial" also legitimately creates a sense of suspicion that Pakistan do not want to cooperate with India. This is clear from its refusal to look at extradition as a means and the enormity of the offence.
Ruling out "hot pursuits" or "surgical attacks" under international law, he said India should think of rallying friendly nations to impose economic sanctions on Pakistan.

Security concern in mosques this Ramadhan

September 27, 2008
By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad, Sept 26: Security has been on the priority list of mosque committees in the city this Muslim holy month of Ramazan with incidents of terror attacks on the rise, of late.
Breaking the religious tradition of avoiding cameras and TVs in holy places, management committees of several mosques in the city have installed closed circuit cameras to keep a tab on the movement of people visiting mosques. At least a dozen mosque committees have gone in for CC TV cameras.
The State government has already installed CC TV cameras in the two mosques under its control, the historic Mecca Masjid near Charminar and the Royal Mosque in Public Gardens at Nampally. Since most of the mosques do not have fixed monthly income, the committees raised special funds as part of the Ramazan drive to set up closed circuit cameras.
"We are also thinking of erecting metal detectors. But the cost involved is too high for us to bear. With great difficulty we could gather money for the CC cameras. Places of worship including mosques have become favourite target spots of terrorists. The best way to prevent attacks is to keep a close watch on those
visiting places of worship. We have also received a communique from the police on the need for high security measures in mosques," said Shabbir Ahmad, custodian of Ibrahim Gulshan mosque at Borabanda in the city.
Religious leaders, who generally oppose photography as part of Muslim tradition, have now endorsed the move by some committees to set up CC TV cameras. "Why should we oppose, when the move is quite good. There are cameras even in the Grand Mosque in Mecca," said Khaleeq Ahmad Saber, general secretary of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, Andhra Pradesh.
He demanded that the government should provide subsidy to management committees of temples, mosques, churches and Gurudwaras to set up metal detectors and CC TV cameras. "There should not be any police interference. It should be purely on voluntary basis," he said adding that CC TV cameras will expose the real terrorists and save innocent people from police harassment and torture.
"We are unnecessarily being targetted. Muslims themselves are the victims of terrorism in Mecca Masjid and several mosques across the country. Cameras in all places of worship irrespective of religion will help check terrorism and anti-social activities," senior Muslim religious leader Shabbir Naqshbandi told this
correspondent.

Bomb blasts: It's Black Friday Once Again

Deccan Chronicle
July 26, 2008
By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad, July 25: It turned out to be the black Friday once again. The serial bomb blasts in Bengaluru is the sixth major terror attack in the country on the Friday in the last 18 years.
All major terror attacks, since the Mumbai serial bomb blasts in 1993 in the wake of demolition of Babri Masjid, have taken place on Friday, a day considered holy by Muslims. Police officials and religious leaders feel that terrorists want to create ill-will between two major religious groups and this is the reason for choosing Friday for the terror attacks.
The Mumbai bomb blasts that left a trail of death and destruction took place on Friday, March 12, 1993. The blasts at the historic Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad on May 18, 2007, at the Jama Masjid in Delhi on April 14, 2006, at a mosque and a graveyard at Malegaon on September 8, 2006 and at the Ajmer dargah on October 12, 2007 were all carried out on Friday. The Jaunpur train explosion on 29 July 2005 was on Friday.
Incidentally, the real culprits behind all these attacks are yet to be brought to the book. None of them is chargesheeted, though the police had rounded up hundreds of suspects after every bomb blast. Most of them are cooling their heels behind the bars.
Major terror attacks outside the country including London were also executed on Friday.
"That the terrorists are choosing Friday to cause death and destruction clearly shows that they want to create communal tensions in the country. It's not a coincidence that most of the blasts have taken place on Friday. There's a deep conspiracy behind the blasts," Hafiz Khaleeq Ahmed Sabir, general secretary
of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, said.
Hyderabad city police commissioner B Prasada Rao told this correspondent that they had been always on high alert on Fridays. "The Bengaluru incident has reinforced the belief that terrorists are attacking on Fridays to create tensions among religious communities. We will be even more alert on Fridays," he said.