By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Islamabad police said on Tuesday it was beefing up its security measures following terror threats in the federal capital, placing police on high alert, setting up 25 new check-posts, and promising tighter transport safety measures.
The move came after embassies of the US and the UK issued advisories for their citizens in Islamabad warning them of a possible terror attack in the capital city.
Similarly advisories were also issued by embassies of Saudi Arabia and Australia to their citizens and government officials and advised them to “limit their movement and increase vigilance” amid the rising terror threat.
Saudi Arabia warned its nationals to “be cautious” and not step out except for emergency purposes. “Security of Islamabad has been placed at the highest level,” the advisory said. It has also asked Saudi residents in the city to contact the embassy and consulate in case of an emergency.
Islamabad police said entry points of the Red Zone will be recorded via Safe City cameras while video surveillance of metro bus passengers would also be conducted.
Pakistani citizens as well as foreign nationals have been asked to carry their identification documents with them.
“Special security plan issued in view of the current security situation in Islamabad,” the capital police said in a series of tweets. “Temporary security check posts have been established at 25 different locations in Islamabad.”
Police also advised the local people to register tenants and employees at the nearest police station and warned that those employing unregistered local or foreign workers will be investigated.
All motorists have been instructed to ensure their vehicles had number plates issued by the excise office. People have been asked to inform authorities of any unusual activity on the helpline.
The security tightening came after a suicide bombing on Friday in Islamabad that killed a policeman.
The incident took place in Sector I-10/4 in Islamabad’s upscale residential area, close to the garrison town of Rawalpindi.
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed the car bombing, saying it was revenge for the killing of one of their leaders, Abdul Wali, alias Omar Khalid Khorasani.
The car bombing comes days after Pakistani special forces killed 25 suspected TTP-linked militants in a raid on a detention center in Bannu in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
It was the first major incident of terrorism in Islamabad following the onset of the recent wave of militancy that was initially limited to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
The Pakistani Taliban has stepped up attacks on security forces since November, when they ended a months-long ceasefire with the Pakistan government.
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