Islamabad, which reported a suicide bombing in Sector I-10 last week, has again been put on alert after another major suicide attack threat by a terrorist, who might enter Pakistan’s capital city and target sensitive security installations. A report by news agency IANS on Saturday (December 31) said that intelligence and law-enforcement agencies have issued the alert and a picture of the terrorist, who has been identified as Zakir Khan. 

Intelligence officials informed the law enforcement agencies that Khan hails from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and is affiliated with the Pakistani Taliban which is also known as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Khan might enter Islamabad to carry out terror attacks. 

The IANS report said that security has been beefed up across Islamabad with special security check-posts installed at all entry and exit points of the city. 

Additionally, personnel of the Frontier Corps (FC) have been deployed in the Red Zone which houses the National Assembly, the Supreme Court, houses of both the Prime Minister and the President and many other important government buildings. 

A police official and two terrorists of the TTP were killed in the December 23 suicide bombing in Sector I-10/4 in Islamabad. The TTP, while claiming responsibility for the attack, said the bombing was carried out to avenge the death of a senior leader. 

A few days back, many foreign missions, including the United States (US), the United Kingdom (UK), Australia and Saudi Arabia, issued travel advisories and threat alerts to their citizens in Pakistan, prohibiting them from visiting restaurants, hotels and public places in Islamabad. 

Pakistan has reported a rise in terror attacks in recent times. On Friday, a high-level meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) was chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and attended by top ministers and officials of the armed forces. During the meeting, it was mutually agreed upon to respond to terror activities will full force.

“The top civil-military leadership expressed the commitment that the fundamental interests of Pakistan’s survival, security and development will be safeguarded with utmost courage, consistency and perseverance,” an official statement read. 

(With agency inputs)

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