July 23, 2002	Tuesday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 12,1423

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)

KARACHI, July 22: Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider has said that there is a threat to the life of President Pervez Musharraf from those who do not approve policies of the government.

He, however, dispelled the suggestion that Al Qaeda as an organization was involved in such activities, adding that certain accused in the Daniel Pearl murder case and the US consulate blast had confessed during investigation about involvement of few Arabs in this regard.

The interior minister was speaking at a press conference on Monday at the Sindh Secretariat after presiding over a meeting on law and order situation in the country which was attended by interior secretary, home secretaries of all the four provinces, IG police, DG rangers, representatives of ISI, IB and other law enforcement agencies.

He referred to the incidents of suicide bombings and said those involved in such activities were not doing any service to Islam or Pakistan. On the contrary they had brought a bad name to the country and Islam, he added.

To a question, the minister said some of the accused involved in the US consulate blast and killing of French naval personnel at Sheraton Hotel had been identified.

Regarding the DNA report in the Daniel Pearl murder case, he said the report was expected this week from the US. He, however, added that the report would unlikely to affect the verdict in the Pearl murder case.

Moinuddin Haider said accused involved in the Daniel Pearl murder case and the US consulate bombing had been identified while progress had been made in the killing of French Naval personnel at Sheraton.

“Likewise, out of 85 high-profile cases, 59 cases have so far been decided by the courts. During the last 13 months 163,000 illegal weapons have been recovered, 3,004 persons have been convicted for possessing illegal weapons and over 41,000 cases are pending in the courts,” he added.

The minister said a database of criminals was being prepared which would have information about those involved in sectarian killings and high-level murders.