Yousuf Raza Gilani warns of terror strikes on Pakistani cities

Pakistan government has information that militants could strike in the federal capital and cities across Punjab province, prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said, as he was briefed on the security situation by the interior ministry today.

Underlining the need for the security agencies to provide actionable and timely intelligence to prevent acts of terrorism, Gilani said he had warned provincial chief ministers last month that there were reports that militants could strike in the northwestern city of Peshawar, Islamabad, the garrison city of Rawalpindi, Lahore and Multan.

The threat of attacks in Punjab was conveyed to chief minister Shahbaz Sharif and action taken by provincial authorities had led to "some damage control" during recent attacks, Gilani told a meeting of top security officials at the interior ministry this afternoon.

The premier directed the interior ministry to strengthen the intelligence network across the country and to provide provinces timely information to counter terrorists. Intelligence gathering has to be made "more effective" and "actionable, credible and timely" information has to be provided by the interior ministry to the provinces, he said.

Suicide bombers struck a court complex in Peshawar and a crowded market in Lahore on December 7, killing over 70 people, while a suicide attack on an office of the Inter-Services Intelligence agency in Multan the following day left a dozen people dead. Over 400 people have died in bombings and suicide attacks in cities across Pakistan since October.