ISLAMABAD, Jan 15: Political leaders faced a looming threat of attack, the Ministry of Interior said on Tuesday and advised them to comply with its security instructions to avoid unnecessary exposure.

“We have issued security advisory to the politicians across the board,” Interior Ministry spokesman Brig (retd) Javed Iqbal Cheema said at his weekly press briefing.

However, the spokesman changed his previous stance about threats to some particular politicians and said: “There is no threat to any particular politician and the security advisory was issued to all politicians.”

In his briefing to the media on January 1, the spokesman had said that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, former leader of the opposition Maulana Fazlur Rehman, former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, former railways minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, former interior minister Aftab Sherpao and former minister for political affairs Ameer Muqam were among the politicians on the hit-list of terrorists.

“Yes I had told the media that some top politicians were under threat, but that statement was only for a specific time and today there is no specific threat and the security advisory was for all politician as a precautionary measure,” he said, adding that it had been issued in view of the assassination of PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto.

“After the assassination of Ms Bhutto it is of paramount importance that political leadership is sensitised about looming threat. They should adopt a security conscious approach.”

Mr Cheema said the advisory was aimed at providing general guidelines to the politicians for their safety and security.

“The government would provide adequate security cover to the political leaders, but it is incumbent upon the political leadership itself to play its role in taking necessary steps to ensure their own safety by cooperating and paying heed to the security advisory,” the spokesman said.

He said that home secretaries and heads of security agencies had been asked to ensure foolproof security of all political leaders who were under threat.

“It is mandatory for the political leadership to maintain close liaison with provincial home departments and local police. Politicians have been asked to pay due attention to the security advice of the local police chief and keep the provincial administration and police informed about their travel plans,” he added.

Mr Cheema suggested to the politicians to avoid unnecessary public exposure, make their travel plans flexible/unpredictable and use different routes for travelling. They have been advised to give preference to official security personnel over their personal guards.“Gatherings and corner meetings can be arranged for electioneering, but big rallies should be avoided as far as possible,” the advisory said, adding: “Personal guards/party workers’ details for security duty should be issued with security passes for recognition by local police.”

The spokesman said that security agencies were taking additional measures in the light of Monday’s Karachi blast to ensure that the designs of perpetrators were foiled.

ASSASSINATION PROBE: Mr Cheema said that six Scotland Yard experts in the field of explosive and graphics who left Pakistan had finished their job.