Foreigners, Barelvis, Shias ‘terror targets’

Barelvi, Shia religious leaders, foreigners working in flood affected areas and Kot Addu power plant are under threat.

LAHORE: Barelvi and Shia religious leaders and their mosques, foreigners working in flood affected areas and the Kot Addu power plant are under threat, The Express Tribune has learnt.

Punjab Police received an intelligence report on Friday, which pointed out the most likely targets terrorists could hit.

The two-page report also added that Shia processions in the month of Muharram-ul-Haram were easy targets and that an improved security plan needed to be chalked out to ensure their safety.

The city police have been directed to enhance the security for Shia and Barelvi scholars and at their mosques. However, scholars from both sects, the Tribune talked to, expressed their reservations over the security provided.

Maulana Raghib Naeemi, head of Jamia Naeemia, which was hit by a suicide attack in June 2009, said that no new contingents had been deployed recently to tackle specific threats of terrorism. Naeemi said that the security for all Sunni mosques needed to be improved.

Shehzada Ghulam Bhatti, Tehreek-e- Nifaz-e-Jafria president, said he had had several meetings with the CCPO, Aslam Tareen regarding security.

He said that no police officers had contacted them to alert them about any terrorism threat. Bhatti said they were still waiting for a security plan for Muharram. “There are only two weeks left, but we are not aware of any strategies made by the police,” he said.

Malik Munir Ahmed, the spokesperson for the Punjab Police, admitted there were terrorism threats but denied having information about threats to specific segments of the society.

Ahmed said that all such measures will be taken to ensure the safety of Shias during Muharram.

He added that police were holding talks with Shia leaders regarding security.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 21^st, 2010.