LAHORE: The Punjab Home Department received on Friday specific threat warnings for main political leaders of major political parties, saying this was the first in many months.

According to senior officials, the information warned of threats to the main leaders of the major political parties in the next 10 days.

They said political parties were being conveyed the warning with the advice to enhance the security level for their main leaders and adoption of standard security procedure during their exposure to people for canvassing. Law enforcement agencies, including the police, too had been asked to provide security to the main leadership of the political parties.

Also, the department clarified that it did not additionally impose Section 144 to prevent any reaction to the conviction of Nawaz Sharif and others.

Officials explained that the department had imposed Section 144 on June 29 to ensure trouble free elections. It was meant for disallowing aerial firing, wall chalking, misuse of loudspeaker, hate speech, display of weapons, and violation of the Election Commission of Pakistan code of conduct for one month. Gathering of five or more people in 400 meters of the polling stations in rural areas and 100 meters in the urban centres on the polling day was also disallowed under Section 144. Meanwhile, former interior minister Rehman Malik called on PPP co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari at Bilawal House here on Friday and discussed latest political developments with him.

A party official says that Mr Malik also briefed Mr Zardari about security situation in the pre-poll scenario.

Mr Zardari is reportedly concerned about the security of his son and party chairman Bilawal, who is busy running PPP’s election campaign across the country.

Published in Dawn, July 07th, 2018