Islamabad: Pakistan government has
information that militants could strike in the federal capital
and cities across Punjab province, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza
Gilani said, as he was briefed on the security situation by
the Interior Ministry today.
Underlining the need for the security agencies to
provide actionable and timely intelligence to prevent acts of
terrorism, Gilani said he had warned provincial Chief
Ministers last month that there were reports that militants
could strike in the northwestern city of Peshawar, Islamabad,
the garrison city of Rawalpindi, Lahore and Multan.
The threat of attacks in Punjab was conveyed to Chief
Minister Shahbaz Sharif and action taken by provincial
authorities had led to "some damage control" during recent
attacks, Gilani told a meeting of top security officials at
the interior ministry this afternoon.
The premier directed the interior ministry to
strengthen the intelligence network across the country and to
provide provinces timely information to counter terrorists.
Intelligence gathering has to be made "more effective"
and "actionable, credible and timely" information has to be
provided by the interior ministry to the provinces, he said.
Suicide bombers struck a court complex in Peshawar and
a crowded market in Lahore on December 7, killing over 70
people, while a suicide attack on an office of the
Inter-Services Intelligence agency in Multan the following day
left a dozen people dead.
Over 400 people have died in bombings and suicide
attacks in cities across Pakistan since October.
PTI
First Published: Friday, December 11, 2009, 20:34