Pakistan armed forces asked to stay alert after Lahore blast

Islamabad [Pakistan], January 23 (ANI): Amid the recent rise in incidents of terrorism in the country, Pakistan Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid has said that his ministry had alerted all armed forces in the country, asking them to stay vigilant.
This high alert comes following the blast in Lahore’s Anarkali area that led to the death of three people and injury to 26. Notably, an unidentified man had placed high-intensity explosives weighing between one and 1.5 kilograms, which caused the explosion.
“Last night, the Ministry of Interior told all armed forces, civil armed forces, IGs (inspectors general of police), chief secretaries, Frontier Corps IGs and Rangers IG to stay alert and watchful,” the Pakistan minister said while addressing a presser in Islamabad.
Earlier this week, Pakistan’s opposition senators sought an explanation from Rashid Ahmed over the recent terrorist incidents in the country, including the Lahore blast.
Rashid on Saturday said that a “surge in the wave [of terrorism]” had been observed in the country in the recent past, with terrorism incidents rising by around “35 per cent” since August 15, the Dawn newspaper reported.
“But this cannot bring down our nation, morale, spirit and armed forces,” he added.
Rasheed blamed “small remnants of groups” defeated by the Taliban for creating an “atmosphere of terror” in Pakistan.
He also dragged India and Afghanistan into the matter, which several experts view as a regular ploy by Islamabad to shift focus from the failure of the government on the internal security issues. (ANI)