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Pakistani intelligence agencies have warned that the local Taliban, the Jandullah group and other banned militant groups have plans to target foreigners, embassies and Shia clerics and worship places in major cities in Pakistan, including capital Islamabad.
The agencies have warned that the groups are also planning to target places of worship in Rawalpindi, Lahore, Okara and Karachi. The agencies have also warned of attacks on leaders of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement at the party's public meetings, district police lines and offices of Divisional Police Officers, Urdu daily Aaj Kal quoted its sources as saying.
The sources said the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan has tasked one Abu Adil Mujahid to carry out the attacks. Another intelligence report said the militants have trained a suicide bomber, identified as Khayal Shah, to carry out attacks on high-value targets.
A vehicle has been rigged with 80 kg of explosives for such an attack. The report warned that a motorcycle stolen from the Punjab Police's Special Branch might be used in a terrorist attack.
Another report said a group of banned militant organisations have plans to carry out suicide attacks on district police lines and the DPO's office in Okara.
It said that extremists might carry out targeted killings in Punjab similar to the recent murder of MQM leader Raza Haider in Karachi. The reports highlighted the Taliban's plans to carry out large-scale attacks in Karachi, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore and other big cities of Punjab during the month of Ramzan.
The Punjab home department has issued a circular to the provincial police chief asking for security to be beefed up in the province in light of the reported plans for carrying out target killings.
After receiving the reports of the intelligence agencies, police and law enforcement agencies issued directions for security to be put on red alert across the country to prevent attacks by the militants.