Terrorists to sabotage elections in Pakistan: Interior Ministry

Officials of the ministry revealed that banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi (LJ), Jandullah organization and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in coordination with each other, were planning to carry out large-scale terrorist attacks in different areas of the country.
 
On its website on Thursday, the English daily Dawn reported that secret information were presented at a meeting attended by  officials of the ministry of Interior with office bearers of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in Islamabad.
 
Intelligence reports suggest that attacks on government and semi-government buildings, installations and personnel of security forces were also possible.
 
A participant of the meeting told the newspaper that the meeting had been informed that the Balochistan Republican Army (BRA) was also planning to carry out attacks by improvised explosive device (IED) in Dera Bugti, Naseerabad and Jaffarabad of Baluchistan province.
 
The meeting was also informed that  recent fighting among militants of the TTP, Lashkar-i-Islam and pro-government Ansar-ul-Islam from Jan 25 to March 18 might pose serious problem not only in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), but also in Peshawar and other settled districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
 
The TTP is reported to be planning to carry out suicide and bomb attacks on important government buildings and installations in Peshawar.
 
Waziristan-based TTP militants may carry out attacks in Khanewal, Multan and surrounding areas.

The meeting decided to set up a Joint Task Group comprising representatives of appropriate rank from operations wing of police, Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), Intelligence Bureau (IB), Military Intelligence (MI), civil armed forces (CAF) and the ECP. The group will meet regularly to review security arrangements based on assessment of threat and changing needs as electioneering moves towards the polling day.
 
It was observed that provinces needed to prepare a contingency plan to deal with any eventuality. However, the Ministry of Interior will keep federal resources — manpower, equipment and expertise — ready.

The election activities have been started in Pakistan as the parliamentary elections in the country are to be held on 11th May.