Terror threats: Taliban plotting major attacks, cabinet told

Agencies say the targets include party leaders, ECP staff and foreign observers.

ISLAMABAD:

In their bid to sabotage the historic May 11 polls, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other outlawed militant groups are likely to target the leaders of political parties, foreign election observers, polling staff and journalists. The militant groups are carrying out their plans with the backing of foreign countries.

Caretaker Prime Minister Mir Hazar Khan Khoso and the federal cabinet have been informed of these threats by intelligence agencies.

According to documents available with The Express Tribune, Premier Khoso and the cabinet were warned about the threats during a cabinet meeting held on May 4 at the Prime Minister’s Secretariat.

Interior ministry officials had apprised the meeting that 52 visas had been issued to long-term election observers from the European Union (EU), 46 visas for short-term EU observers and 70 visas to members of the National Democratic Institute (NDI).

Documents show that the head of the Inter Services Intelligence is in favour of proper vigilance as well as cohesive responsibility about the threats.

He also spoke of credible intelligence that was available about concrete efforts to target election candidates before and during the elections.

“It would be appropriate if the prime minister called an all parties conference and took them into confidence about the measures being taken for security to alleviate their fears,” he added.

The head of the Intelligence Bureau warned there was a threat to the political and religious leadership in Islamabad. He said that polling stations were required to be protected in all parts of the country.

“The polling material also requires to be taken care of. In Sindh we have to work hard not only in Karachi and in interior Sindh but also tribal enmities in Kashmore, Khund Kot, Shahdad Kot, Umerkot and Sanghar have to be kept in view,” the DG IB stated.

Similarly, he said, the spectre of tribal feuds in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa could not be ignored. In certain districts of southern Punjab, sectarianism was rife, the documents said.

The DG IB suggested that a flag march of the armed forces as per a previous cabinet decision should be carried out to discourage terrorists from launching attacks.

The interior secretary said there were threats of coordinated attacks by the TTP and its allied groups against political party leaders, candidates and the Election Commission of Pakistan staff. He said they could also attack foreign observers and journalists.

The flashpoint areas were identified in southern Punjab, Karachi and Hyderabad in Sindh, Peshawar, Charsadda and Mardan in K-P, Quetta, Khuzdar, Mastung in Balochistan and Bhara Kau and Margalla Hills in the Islamabad Capital Territory.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 11^th, 2013.