'Terrorists out to kidnap foreigners, ex-spymasters'

RAWALPINDI Putting entire law enforcement and intelligence apparatus on high alert, the Punjab Home Department has circulated a report based on confidential information about the terrorists plans to kidnap some foreigners, most probably American nationals. In this regard, Secretary Punjab Home Department wrote a letter to Inspector General Police (IGP) Punjab, Additional IGs, Special Brach/CID Punjab, all the divisional commissioners, all the Regional Police Officers (RPOs) in the province and CCPO Lahore. The letter issued by the office of Secretary Home Department Punjab, which was also available with this scribe, stated that it was apprehended that terrorists hailing from banned Lashkar-e-Islam (LI), presently located in Shalobar area, Bara and Khyber Agency, are planning to kidnap some foreigner (most probably American nationals) from Hayatabad Pehshwar in next few days. The report further disclosed that as per miscreants plan, the kidnapped person after abduction would be taken to Shalobar area, Bara and Khyber Agency. It further stated that these terrorists had also planned to abduct some intelligence agencies former officers (most probably ISI and MI officers) from Peshawar in next few days in collaboration with associates of a LI commander. Therefore, the letter stated that it was imperative that all the law enforcement agencies at all levels remained on high alert. Necessary preventive and pre-emptive foolproof security measures and extreme vigilance for the protection of intended targets should be adopted to forestall any untoward incident, it maintained. Urging all the concerned agencies for having close cooperation to frustrate the miscreants plans, it said that the present situation demanded close coordination among all the intelligence agencies for sharing information and helping in nabbing the terrorists before they succeeded in their nefarious designs. This letter also has been sent to other prime agencies including the Army institutions with a request to place special emphasis for advanced information or intelligence on the subject matter.

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