Pak's Punjab govt upgrades security of top political leaders on par with PM

Pakistan's Punjab government has upgraded security of top political leaders including Imran Khan, Shahbaz Sharif and Bilawal Bhutto on par with the prime minister during election campaigns in the province, amid a spate of deadly suicide attacks targeting politicians, a minister said today.

Punjab Home Minister Shaukat Javed said that the electoral candidates and leadership of entire political parties will be provided proper security cover during their electioneering in the wake of suicide attacks in Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, The Nation reported.

Talking to reporters, he said there will be no compromise on law, order and security of the political leadership.

Javed said the Punjab government has taken foolproof stringent measures on war footings to upgrade security protocol of all top political leadership including Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf chief Imran Khan, Pakistan Peoples Party co-chairman Bilawal Bhutto and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz president Shahbaz Sharif on par with prime minister, the paper said.

Pakistan's National Counter Terrorism Authority has warned that there were serious security threats to political leaders of all major parties and suicide bombers could be used to target them.

On Friday, Islamic State terror group targeted an election rally of Balochistan Awami Party leader Siraj Raisani in Balochistan's Mastung area, killing him and 148 others.

Last week, a suicide bomber had killed Awami National Party leader and candidate in the general elections, Haroon Bilour, and 19 others after striking at an election meeting in Peshawar.

Javed said that it is the responsibility of the Punjab government to not only arrange for fair, free and impartial elections but also to provide security to all participating in the upcoming polls, the paper reported.

The foolproof security will be exclusively provided to those candidates or political leaders of major political parties; having serious life threats, he said.

He said the security plan for rallies and public gatherings should be strictly implemented and the system of intelligence-sharing should be made more effective, and political parties should avoid confrontation and clashes, and keep the general environment peaceful.