It seems as if the Punjab Livestock and Dairy Development Board (PLDDB) is going to inaugurate a nuclear weapon factory in Khizarabad on October 8. PLDDB has issued invitation cards for foundation stone laying ceremony of “Centre of Excellence for Development of Sahiwal and Exotic Breeds” (Semen Production Unit), carrying a series of security instructions.
These special security instructions under the heading “ATTENTION” in bold letter read: “Please bring this (invitation) card along with your original Computerised National Identity Card for security check; no briefcase, handbag, mobile phone, camera, digital diary or electronic equipment of any kind will be allowed inside the venue; ladies are requested not to bring their handbags/purses with them; only that person will be allowed against whose name the card has been issued; please park the cars in the designated areas to avoid inconvenience.”
This total inconvenience is a result of Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, who has consented to be the chief guest on the event. But the cards security instructions indicate that some guests are coming from the neighbouring country that required thorough security screening. Undue hassle in the name of security has become routine. Military bureaucrats – even after retirement – always consider necessary to create hurdles to keep their presence felt.
