Threat alert issued by Sindh police chief

Sindh police chief Mushtaq Ahmed Mahar, taking notice of intelligence reports and interrogations of militants of different groups conducted by counterterrorism wings, has issued a threat alert about the impending threat of possible terrorist acts by miscreants associated with separatist outfits in the coming few days.

A circular issued in this regard on Friday by the assistant IG operations of the Sindh Police on behalf of the provincial inspector general of police, says that the possible sabotage acts could be carried out in the early days of September, especially from September 4 to September 7.

It says the miscreants could use locally made crackers and hand grenades in Pakistan, especially in the interior parts of Sindh, to cause lawlessness or an environment of fear and intimidation.

The relevant police officials have been directed to ensure the provision of security at railway stations, installations of electricity, gas, railway lines, bus terminals, bus stands, power transmission lines, markets, wholesale fruit and vegetable markets, and other such places in their jurisdictions where people usually gather in large numbers.

The Sindh police chief has asked the relevant officials to beef up patrolling by policemen to ensure that the life and property of citizens and government officials remained fully secured in these areas.

The circular has asked that the field police officials should not remain absent from any duty point in their jurisdiction, and places of duty should be manned as quickly as possible. It has further asked the police officials to remain in touch with the relevant officials of the Special Branch and other law enforcement agencies.

The circular has been sent to the range, zonal additional IGPs, DIGs, SSPs and SPs in districts. On Thursday, two suspected militants allegedly involved in terror activities were arrested in Karachi. The accused were identified as Muhammad Younus and Siraj Nawaz. They were arrested after an encounter near the Chakra Goth Chowrangi in District Korangi.

Police claimed the suspects belonged to a nationalist outfit, Sindh Revolutionary Army (SRA), whose militants were involved in terrorism. The two were alleged to be going to carry out any terror activity with a hand grenade when police intercepted them and caught them after a shootout. The police said the suspects had shot and injured a person, Abdul Qayyum, son of Ashraf, at a milk shop on August 12, to create panic on the eve of Independence Day. The SRA militants were said to have intended to kill him, but, fortunately, he survived the attack.

The suspects admitted that they were members of the SRA and had committed terror activities on the directives of their leader in Germany and Afghanistan. Their mission was to establish Sindhudesh and they intended to cause ethnic violence across the province, especially in Karachi, and to create terror. They also admitted to funding the SRA.