SUKKUR, Oct 11: Police have been placed on the high alert in Sukkur, Shikarpur, Khairpur and Ghotki districts following the bomb blasts in Sialkot, Multan and Lahore and the assassination of religious scholar Mufti Jameel Ahmed Khan and Maulana Nazeer Taunsvi in Karachi.

In Sukkur, the police are searching each and every vehicle entering the city and luggage of all the passengers is also being searched. A contingent of the police has also been deployed at the Sukkur Barrage.

Policemen in plain clothes have been deployed at the mosques and imambargahs who are keeping vigilant eye over every person while mosques and imambargahs have been allowed to open only one gate to ensure the security.

Officials of bomb disposal squad have also been put on red alert round the clock. Close circuit cameras have been installed at the main chowks and railway platforms of the city.

Talking to newsmen at his office on Monday, City ASP Saqib Sultan Al-Mehmood said it was the duty of religious parties to keep vigilant eye on the surroundings of mosques and imambargahs and if they locate any suspect, inform the police immediately.

He urged the religious parties to cooperate during search operation and inform the police beforehand in case of any religious function in the mosques and imambargahs. He advised them to keep an eye on the motorcycles and cars parked by the mosques and imambargahs.

In reply to a question, the police official said, during the last three months police had arrested some 50 absconders while on their pointation recovered stolen motorcycles, cars, drugs and arms and ammunition.

He said during the raids police recovered six stolen motorcycles, one car, 15 pistols, 20 shotguns, two rifles, and a large quantity of bullets. He said three members of motorcycle snatching gang including Niaz Jamali, Asif Rajput and Ghouso Mahar had been arrested and six stolen motorcycles had been recovered from them.

On the other hand, strict security measures have been adopted at the Radio Pakistan Khairpur where no one except duty staff is allowed to enter the premises. The security staff of the radio station has been provided with metal detectors and bomb detectors.