By IANS,
London : Ten Pakistani students, whose arrest on terror charges caused a row between Pakistan and Britain this year, had been cleared to work as security guards in Britain, a newspaper reported Sunday.
The arrests of the men in April on suspicion of plotting to blow up a shopping centre and a nightclub in the city of Manchester caused a diplomatic spat, prompting Britain to release them days after Prime Minister Brown warned of “a very big terrorist plot”.
But the Sunday Times said 10 of those arrested, who were never charged for lack of evidence, had been granted permission by the British home ministry to work as security guards in Britain.
In the months before the alleged plot, the men were given licences to work as security guards by the Security Industry Authority (SIA), a home ministry body that regulates the private security industry.
Unlike British applicants, foreigners do not need to have their applications counter-signed by a British referee, the paper said, adding, officials privately admit they do not even attempt to make checks on applicants’ address histories in Pakistan.
At the time of their arrest, two of the men were working for a cargo firm which had access to secure areas of Manchester airport.
Chris Grayling, the opposition Conservative Party’s shadow home secretary, said, “The fact that security checks on overseas nationals seeking clearance for the security industry are much more lax than for British people just beggars belief. This is clearly a huge hole in our security system.”