 Security forces have been put on high alert on the eve of Ashura amid fears that recent sectarian violence could spark a bloody new cycle of revenge, officials said yesterday. Last year's Ashura was one of the most violent ever and authorities are on alert after a spate of bloodshed between the two sects in the northern towns of Gilgit and Skardu in January, which left 17 people dead. "Because of recent sectarian incidents in some parts of the country we have instructed the provinces to be extra-vigilant. Security forces have been put on high alert to ward off any threat," Interior Ministry spokesman Brig. Javed Cheema told AFP. Police commandos and plainclothes agents have been deployed in all major cities including Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Rawalpindi to guard sensitive sites, another Interior Ministry official said. |
