ISLAMABAD: The National Crisis Management Cell alerted on Tuesday the capital police to a plot by Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan to attack former president retired Gen Pervez Musharraf.
According to sources, the alert has been issued in the light of intelligence reports that the TTP has planned an attack on Gen Musharraf to avenge the operation against Lal Masjid launched during his tenure as president. The alert said the release of Gen Musharraf on bail in connection with the death of Naib Khateeb of Lal Masjid Ghazi Abdul Rasheed and his mother Sabiha Khatoon, registered at Aabpara police station, was another reason behind the plot. The NCMC has directed the police to ensure strict security measures around the residence (farmhouse) of the former president at Chak Shahzad.
When contacted, a senior police official confirmed the alert and said that high security had already been provided to the former president. Pickets were established to intercept the suspects and suspicious vehicles moving towards the farmhouse.
He said that security was given to him in the light of Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the former heads of the state.
He further said the police had written a letter to former president requesting him to inform police prior to his movement in the city. It was also requested to follow the SOP of security, keeping in view the threats confronting him.
It may be mentioned that on April 23, a car laden with 45kg of explosives, was found abandoned near the farmhouse at Park Road.
The car was spotted by the security personnel when the former military ruler was being taken back there after his appearance in an anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi. The car was immediately taken away from the route and later during search, officials found 45kg of explosives in it.
The explosives were rigged to fuses, detonator and remote control. “It was ready to blow up and needed only detonation from the remote control,” a police official said.
On Friday last, a speech was delivered at Lal Masjid against the capital police, the former president and ‘operation silent’ against the mosque before Friday’s prayer by Maulana Abdul Aziz.
The maulana had castigated the police and questioned the role of the Inspector General of Police in investigating the double murder case of his brother and mother and declaring the accused (Musharraf) innocent by putting him in the Column Number 2 of challans.
During the speech he had also said that it was the responsibility of the investigating agency to collect the evidences, but instead of doing their job the police asked the complainant of the case to produce the evidences and the eyewitnesses, the sources added.
