Red alert across Pakistan to avoid al-Qaeda’s backlash against drone attack

LAHORE - Pakistan’s Interior Ministry has sounded a countrywide threat alert, warning of strong backlash from al-Qaeda against unmanned predator drones, which have recently killed important operatives of the terror group in the troubled north-western region of the country, well-placed sources have revealed.

The sources also revealed that on the directions of the Punjab Home Department, Section 144 has been imposed across the province to keep the situation under control during Muharram, The Nation reports.

As per the fresh directive, the display of weapons, assembly of more than five people and rallies have been banned in the province.

On December 9, the National Crisis Management Cell of the Interior Ministry had forwarded a confidential communiqui to all provincial governments, heads of FATA, Gilgit-Baltistan and Pak-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, warning that extraordinary security measures were necessary to avoid any untoward incident, as al Qaeda was planning to target sensitive places inside Pakistan.

“According to reliable information, various al Qaeda operatives including high-value targets (HVTs) have been killed during recent drone attacks. It has been learnt that as a backlash, Al-Qaeda is planning to carry out terrorist activities against sensitive targets inside Pakistan. No specific information regarding the location, date, time and type of attack is available,” the paper quoted the threat alert (No 542), as saying.

“Foregoing in view, extreme vigilance, and heightened security be maintained at all levels to avoid any untoward incident,” it added.

The threat alert has also been forwarded to all the provincial police officers, IG FC of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, DG Rangers Punjab and Sindh, Commandant Frontier Constabulary KP, Chief Commissioner ICT, IGPs of Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and PoK. (ANI)