New Delhi: Ahead of Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s visit to Islamabad for a meeting of Saarc home and interior Ministers, India has conveyed to Pakistani security agencies that he faces threat from four major terror outfits : Islamic State, Taliban, Jaish-e-Mohammed and the Lashkar-e-Tayeeba.
Sources said Indian security agencies who are in touch with their Pakistani counterparts have been assured that an elaborate security cover has been planned for the Indian Home Minister which will almost be at par with that of a head of state.
Indian security agencies have been closely monitoring security arrangements for Rajnath Singh particularly in wake of threat issued by Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed. Even Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin has said that Pakistani Government should not have invited Mr Singh for the Saarch conference.
“The home minister has a very high threat perception during his visit Islamabad for the Saarc summit starting Wednesday. We are in regular touch with Pakistani agencies as providing security is the responsibility of the host nation and have conveyed our concerns to them particularly about the threat from terror groups. They are making stringent arrangements and we are hopeful that the visit will go on smoothly,’’ a senior Home Ministry official said.
Meanwhile, BSF chief K.K. Sharma said Hafiz Saeed’s plans of undertaking massive protests against Indian Home Minister’s visit was a political move and border guarding forces on both sides have been sensitised and they will ensure that the Saarc home ministers meeting to be held on Wednesday in Islamabad is not disrupted.
“This protest call by Hafiz Saeed is the internal matter of Pakistan and I am very sure that my counterparts Pak Rangers are more than competent to handle this issue. I am sure it is not going to disrupt the SAARC meeting. Hafiz Saeed will not be successful,” the DG said.
In the last few days, the BSF has deployed about 4,000 personnel on the Punjab frontier and 2,000 on the Jammu side to further intensify border patrolling and strengthen the counter infiltration grid.
