ISLAMABAD: The threat of terrorism in the federal capital continues to worry the government as Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan claimed on Saturday that two suicide attackers had entered the city with a plan to target the participants of the sit-ins staged by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and the Pakistan Awami Tehreek.

“This information has been given by top most military agencies, and has nothing to do with politics,” he told a press conference at the Punjab House.

He said over 30,000 security personnel had been deputed to provide security to the protesters, making it the largest concentration of security forces in the capital over the past 10 years.

The three-tier security at a hefty cost had been warranted by security alerts the government had received over the past few days, he said.

The minister asked the PTI to form its security team to check people entering the venue of their protest in coordination with security agencies.

Suicide attackers are in the city, the minister quotes military agencies as saying

PAT was already coordinating with the administration and security agencies, he said and added the arrangement was being made more efficient.

He said important friendly countries had conveyed security concerns to the government but they had been assured that an effective security framework was in place and there was nothing to worry about.

He said there was no room for any desperate action and security agencies were ready to prevent any attempt to cross the red lines. “If such an attempt is made, it will be frustrated and those making the bid will be responsible,” he warned.

Chaudhry Nisar said that conditions set for the rallies were that participants would not bring weapons with them, would not resort to violence and would not enter the red zone.

He said the first building in the red zone was the embassy of a friendly western country, with many other embassies and high commissions in its proximity besides other important buildings, including the Supreme Court and Parliament House.

He said it was the government’s international obligation to provide protection to diplomatic missions and any threat posed to them would mean an insult to Pakistan.

Answering a question about the health hazards posed by garbage thrown by the participants of the rallies in the open, he said cleanliness and hygiene would be the responsibility of political parties organising the rallies under the new set of conditions for such events. He dispelled the impression that marchers had been allowed to stay in Islamabad indefinitely.

About the problems being faced by the residents of the twin cities, he said perhaps the dwellers of Rawalpindi and Islamabad would have to finally stage a sit-in against the political rallies if they were unnecessarily prolonged.

Meanwhile, the minister paid a visit to the red zone to review security arrangements. He was given a briefing on the arrangements by officials. He praised the role played by police, Rangers and other law-enforcement agencies.

Ikram Junaidi adds: The minister also visited the venues of the sit-ins of the PTI and the PAT at Aabpara.

SP Jameel Hashmi briefed him about the security arrangements. The minister cheeked the arrangements himself to ensure that there was no deficiency.

He instructed police to avoid “unnecessary” clash with the marchers.

Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2014