Daily Times

A policeman received wounds in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast near a van in Dera Ismail Khan city of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Saturday. The incident took place in Hathyala area of the city where an official of elite police, Tariq, was wounded in the explosion occurred near a police vehicle. Police told media that the police officials boarded in the vehicle were moving to perform security arrangements for the protest march announced by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) and backed by other opposition parties as well. A heavy contingent of police forces cordoned off the entire area and commenced a search operation, whereas, the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) officials have also called to ascertain the explosion’s genre. Earlier on Friday, Interior Ministry had issued an alert notice of possible terror attacks on public gatherings of ‘Azadi March’ announced by the opposition parties. It stated that the protest march announced by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) increased risks for the internal security of the country besides creating the situation of instability. The notice warns that anti-state elements could take benefit of the instability by targeting public gatherings. The ministry warned that a banned militant outfit could target ‘Azadi March’ after penetrating into participants of the demonstration. It added that anti-Pakistan security agencies have distributed $1 million among terrorists for targeting JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and other political leaders besides affecting the peace.