Army operation not required in Karachi: Kayani

Islamabad, Nov 22 (IANS) Pakistan Army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani Thursday said a military operation was not required in Karachi even as the country’s interior minister said there was a terror threat in the country in the next three days of ongoing Muharram.

Speaking to a group of reporters on the sidelines of the D−8 conference, Kayani applauded the performance of the Rangers in maintaining security in the Karachi city.

Kayani, however, said the army was ready to provide security during Muharram, adding that the army had been deployed in sensitive areas across the country.

Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rehman Malik Thursday warned of terror threats for the next three days of Muharram while blaming some outside power for attempting to destabilise the country.

Malik told reporters that there was “an outside power” trying to destabilise Pakistan and three different terrorist groups wanted to destroy the country.

Karachi has been consistently witnessing violence for the last few months.

In the latest instance, a twin−bomb explosion in Karachi targeting Shia Muslims Wednesday left at least two people dead and 15 others injured.

At least 36 people were killed and 93 others injured in six terrorist and sectarian attacks across Pakistan since Friday, Xinhua quoted police as saying Thursday.

IANS 2012-11-22 21:18:05