ISLAMABAD: Six leading political contenders in Pakistan’s July 25 poll are being targeted by terrorists, according to the country’s National Counter Terrorism Authority (NATCA).
NACTA official Obaid Farooq told a Senate standing committee on Monday that the six political figures were Imran Khan, chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), Awami National Party’s (ANP) President Asfandyar Wali (Khan) and its leader Ameer Haider (Khan) Hoti; Qaumi Watan party chief Aftab (Ahmed Khan) Sherpao; Akram Khan Durrani of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F); and little-known Allah-o-Akbar Tehreek’s candidate (Hafiz) Talha Saeed, son of Hafiz Saeed, the alleged Mumbai attacks mastermind.
Farooq claimed the “senior leadership” of two of the country’s largest political factions, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), were also under threat.
Fareed Rehman, PTI’s senior vice president for Islamabad, criticized the security arrangements extended to Imran Khan.
“(Imran) Khan has the highest number of threats conveyed to us in advance by NACTA,” he said, confirming the terror watchdog’s notifications on the threat level.
Rehman told Arab News that “when we ask authorities to provide security and allied facilities, no jammers, walk-through gates, bomb disposal units, ambulances or an evacuation plan are provided.”
ANP leader Afrasiab Khattak said he was unaware of any warning to the party.
Party candidates were busy campaigning, but no information on the terror threat had been disclosed during internal meetings, he said.
The terror watchdog received reports from intelligence agencies last week of 12 threats of which six were aimed at the politicians.
NACTA told the standing committee that responsibility to ensure safety and security during elections is being looked after by the Individual Security Threat Assessment Committee.
The National Accountability Bureau building is under threat from a vehicle bombing, Deputy Inspector General of Islamabad police Waqar Ahmed Chohan told the briefing.
The NAB has been in the spotlight since it took up the corruption cases of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and prosecuted the disqualified PML-N leader along with his daughter and son-in-law in the Avenfield house case.
Sen. Rehman Malik, chairman of the standing committee, ordered the Law Ministry to provide security to the politicians and NAB.
Secretary of the Election Commission of Pakistan, Babar Yaqoob, he said had alerted the committee of possible violence as the political campaigns gain momentum.
Pakistan political leaders ‘face terror threat ahead of polls’
Pakistan political leaders ‘face terror threat ahead of polls’
- NACTA told the standing committee that responsibility to ensure safety and security during elections
- The NAB has been in the spotlight since it took up the corruption cases of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
Greenland belongs to its people and has full EU support, EU’s Costa says
- “They have the full support and solidarity of the European Union,” Costa said
NICOSIA: The European Union will support Greenland and Denmark when needed and will not accept violations of international law no matter where they occur, EU Council President Antonio Costa said on Wednesday.
“On Greenland, allow me to be clear: Greenland belongs to its people. Nothing can be decided about Denmark and about Greenland without Denmark, or without Greenland,” Costa said in a speech marking the assumption by Cyprus of the rotating presidency of the EU.
“They have the full support and solidarity of the European Union,” he said.
US President Donald Trump has repeated in recent days that he wants to gain control of Greenland, as he argues the island is key for US military strategy and claims Denmark has not done enough to protect it.
Costa said Cyprus was taking the helm of the EU Council at a time when the international rules-based order was under attack, and urged EU member states to stand up against these developments.
“The European Union cannot accept violations of international law — whether in Cyprus, Latin America, Greenland, Ukraine or Gaza,” Costa said.
“Europe will remain a firm and unwavering champion of international law and multilateralism.”
