From Zeeshan Mirza
KARACHI: Speaker Sindh Assembly Agha Siraj Durrani on Friday apprised the provincial lawmakers regarding the security threat being faced by the legislature. “The Sindh Assembly faces a terror attack threat,” Agha Siraj Durrani told the lawmakers.
He said that the photos of the Sindh Assembly building were recovered from the possession of terrorists. “The law enforcement authorities (LEAs) have conveyed regarding the terror threat,” the speaker said. It is pertinent to mention here that days before the speaker Sindh Assembly’s divulged details of a security threat to the legislature, the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) issued a terror alert for Karachi, warning that terrorists-backed by foreign agencies have planned to attack key installations in the city.
The handout issued by the NACTA read that that key government buildings or installations could be targeted in the attack by foreign-backed terror elements. “The preparation for an attack in Karachi has been completed,” it said while apprising that provincial home ministry, Inspector General of Police (IG) Sindh and Rangers were conveyed regarding the threat alert.
It is pertinent to mention here that besides issuing a threat alert for Karachi, the NACTA has repeatedly warned of terror attacks recently being planned for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan province. In October 2020, the NACTA warned that Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan was planning attacks on political and religious leaderships across Quetta and Peshawar in the near future.
Earlier June 2020, all four terrorists, who attacked the Pakistan Stock Exchange in Karachi, had been shot dead, police said. At least four people including a policeman were killed in the attack, according to the officials. The city’s police force had earlier said six people died in the firefight but later revised the figure. A Karachi hospital where the bodies were taken confirmed the updated death count.
The gunmen attacked the building, which is in a high security zone that also houses the head offices of many private banks, with grenades and guns, Karachi police chief Ghulam Nabi Memon told media. “Four attackers have been killed, they had come in a silver Corolla car,” Mr Memon said. Four security guards, a policeman and a bystander were also killed, according to a statement from the Karachi Police.
