Rehman Malik said the Sharif brothers remained at threat - File photo. |
ISLAMABAD The Adviser to the Prime Minister on the Interior, Rehman Malik on Thursday warned of terrorist attacks during the forthcoming long march.
Speaking in the Senate he said the lives of Sharif brothers were also under threat. Citing intelligence reports he said Mumbai like incident can be replicated in Karachi-the financial capital of the country.
Malik said in the wake of these threats the government has written a latter to provincial governments urging them to make fool proof security arrangements for the security of PML-N leadership and copy of this latter has been sent to Sharif brothers, Directors General of Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) and Military Intelligence (MI).
Advisor interior said the government had made several attempts to convince the lawyers to give up their plan to stage a sit-in outside the parliament house which falls under sensitive security zone. He said several alternate venues had also been proposed, but regretted that the lawyers had remained adamant and declined all government offers.
He said the government was not against long march but it will not allow any one to take the law in hands and create disturbances. He asked the newly elected chairman of the Senate Farooq H Naek to constitute a committee of the house to mediate between government and lawyers.
Malik said the government has decided not to arrest any Senator, MNA or MPA adding that he has ordered judicial inquiry into the incident of house arrest of PML-N senators Raja Zafar ul Haq and Syed Zafar Ali Shah. He termed the incident as a conspiracy since the police has said that they did not take this action.
The statement by the Interior Adviser came after top Opposition leader Nawaz
Sharif accused the government of plotting to kill him. Sharif, who has been threatened with slapping of sedation charges, said he had received information from credible sources about `certain forces` which were active against him.
`Threats to my life come from high-ranking government officials, certain topmost people in the government, my sources say,` the former premier said without giving any details.
The allegation was however rejected by Presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar as ridiculous.
The Adviser on Interior made statement on the floor of the house when similar kind of allegation was leveled in the House by PML-N Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar.
PML-N parliamentary leader Ishaq Dar quoting media reports alleged that some people have been tasked to eliminate his party`s top leadership. He said if such plan materialized his party will register FIR against those who are in charge of helm in the present government.
His fiery speech irked Rehman Malik, advisor interior and Islamudin Sheikh who asked the newly elected chairman to intervene and not to allow the member make controversial remarks.
Dar contested Malik and said that advisor had taken his remarks out of context however the chairman expunged some remarks made by the PML-N legislator.
The government has been warning that unruly mass protests could be used by terrorists to create law and order problem in the country. Leaders of the opposition parties supporting the call of lawyers` community for long march and sit-in outside the parliament house however say they were ready to sacrifice their lives for rule of law in the country.
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