KARACHI, Aug 8: Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Sherpao said on Tuesday that security agencies have been put on red alert. However, he ruled out any possibility of terrorist act on the Independence Day.

Talking to reporters after attending the passing-out parade of the 28th batch of the Pakistan Coast Guards, he said foreign hand might be involved in the suicide attack on Allama Hassan Turabi.

“The suicide attacker was not a Bengali, but was a Myanmar national living in Pakistan since long.”

To a query, he said all accused involved in the murder of Allama Hassan Turabi have been arrested and the agencies were trying to trace out the mastermind behind the suicide bombing.

He said that security agencies had detected a network, which was planning to carry out terrorist attacks after the assassination of Allama Hassan Turabi in the city, and had made arrests.

He reiterated that the government would eliminate terrorism and extremism, adding a ban had been imposed on unnecessary use of loudspeakers in mosques and other places of worships.

A complete ban had also been imposed on literature based on religious hatred and sectarianism, he added.

Praising the performance of the PCG, he said despite limited resources, it had been playing a significant role to combat anti-state activities, including smuggling of drugs and arms, and illegal immigration.

The minister said that the government was well aware of the problems of civil armed forces and was trying to resolve them.

He said that the ministry had issued directives for financial support of those who had lost their lives or sustained injuries while performing their duty.

He announced that the government would construct a proper training area and a sports complex for the PCG.

He announced that 500 more soldiers would be recruited in the current year to strengthen the PCG. “We have received funds for the recruitment of 100 personnel,” he added.

Earlier, in his welcome address, PCG DG Brig Firzoq Attaullah gave details of one-year performance of the force and said that the PCG had seized 8,518 kg of narcotics, 26,512 bottles of liquor and a huge quantity of illegal arms, besides arresting 30 accused involved in these activities.

He said that the PCG also took into custody five boats, 20 vehicles and 34 camels used in smuggling of drugs and illegal arms.

He said that the PCG was also taking steps to control human trafficking and had arrested 1,108 illegal immigrants from Pakistan-Iran and other boarder, adding that out of them 46 per cent were foreigners.

Later, the minister inaugurated the construction work of the parade ground and family quarters for the PCG staff.

He said a sum of Rs300 million had been approved by the government for construction of family quarters for the ‘Jawans’ of PCG, adding that Rs3 million had been managed for cementing of the PCG’s parade ground, out of the required Rs8.7 million.

The minister said that while use of drugs and its smuggling was causing grave harm to society, terrorism and extremism were weakening the freedom of the country and its ideological frontiers.—Agencies