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| India-Pakistan |
| Bourses under terror threat |
| 2006-11-07 |
| Intelligence agencies have been informed of a potential terrorism strike on the country’s stock exchanges by the end of November, intelligence sources told Daily Times on Monday. Sources said that terrorists would try to sabotage Pakistan’s economy by attacking the stock exchanges and that the intelligence agencies had forwarded the information to the relevant quarters for action. Punjab Police IG Ziaul Hasan Khan and Sindh Police IG Jehangir Mirza were not available for comment despite repeated attempts by Daily Times. However, sources in the Punjab Police Special Branch told Daily Times that security agencies were alert to possible terrorism, especially in the aftermath of the airstrike on a madrassa in Bajaur Agency suspected of being a training camp for militants. At least 80 people were killed in the air raid and thousands of protesters in the tribal areas had vowed to avenge the killing of “innocent people” by joining suicide missions against the Pakistan Army. Lahore Stock Exchange Managing Director Hamid Imtiazi told Daily Times that he had not received any information from intelligence agencies so far, but said that the stock exchange had a foolproof security system. Islamabad Stock Exchange Managing Director Aftab Ahmed Chaudhry said they had adopted strict security measures, including installation of closed-circuit cameras, but he would discuss the security issue with the district administration on Tuesday (today). He said the capital police had already deployed several policemen – uniformed and in plainclothes – in and around the building. On July 14, two Afghan nationals had tried to enter the Karachi Stock Exchange building with hand grenades hidden in their clothes. However, the suspected terrorists were nabbed by the building’s security guards and handed over to the police. The incident occurred 45 minutes before renowned Shia scholar Allama Hasan Turabi and his nephew were killed in a suicide attack in Abbas Town, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Karachi. Criminologist Ahsan Naqvi said that an attack on stock exchanges would result in a stock market crash and foreign investors could withdraw their investments. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 At least 80 people were killed in the air raid and thousands of protesters in the tribal areas had vowed to avenge the killing of “innocent people” by joining suicide missions against the Pakistan Army. Sooner or later the Pakistani army will need to take this as their cue to soften up all of the semi-autonomous tribal areas that continue to assist the Taleban. Unfortunately, almost ALL of Pakistan assists the Taleban, so that really doesn't mean much. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2006-11-07 10:50 |