By KUNA
Islamabad : Security has been given high alert across Pakistan as the election campaign ends Saturday midnight and the country prepares to embrace much-awaited general elections on Monday.
The Federal Interior Ministry has received reports that suicide bombers, trained in bordering tribal region, have entered in the major cities and could target leading elections candidates to sabotage February 18 elections, ministry sources told KUNA.
They said the directives have been issued to the provincial police chiefs and Islamabad as well to beef up security around western and Arab diplomatic missions.
Sources said that special directives have been given to security agencies to take stringent security measures around Saudi Arab, Jordan, Egypt diplomatic missions.
They have also been directed to provide security to leading election candidates including Chauhdary Pervaiz Elahi, former Punjab Chief Minister, and Nawaz Sharif, former Prime Minister, sources added.
A letter to the provincial police chiefs and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Islamabad by the federal government says that terrorists are planning suicide attacks on public rallies in various cities, according to a report of local daily Dawn.
Another letter sent to the Punjab and the Frontier province governments said that four suicide bombers were planning simultaneous attacks somewhere in the country.
Pakistan has seen a spate of suicide attacks targeting elections rallies and candidates in the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP).
Pakistani Taliban militants, according to press reports, have announced unilateral ceasefire for smooth holding of elections but Afghan Taliban militants are suspected to be carrying out sabotage activities.
In a crackdown in Peshawar, capital of NWFP, since Thursday police has arrested more than 1000 trouble-makers, most of them of Afghan origin, said police sources.