Deobandi plan terror attack on Pakistan Day Military Parade

Police in the federal capital foiled a terrorist attack that aimed at striking Pakistan Day parade on 23 March. Police sources said that two (Deobandi takfiri) terrorists were arrested during recent raids who confessed to planning an attack. They said the men were arrested from Ghouri Town in connection with the attack on the Qasar-e-Sakina Imambargah which occurred on February 19.

Sources said the arrested Deobandis confessed to planning an attack during their interrogation. A large cache of weapons was also seized from their possession.

Earlier in February, it was announced that a joint military parade of Pakistan’s armed forces would take place on Pakistan Day after a gap of seven years.

The decision to resume the military parade appeared to be a manifestation of the military’s show of strength in the wake of the shocking attack on the Army Public School (APS) in Peshawar last year, which left 150 people dead, including 132 schoolchildren.

The last military parade took place on March 23, 2008 during the tenure of Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf as a civilian president.

Recently it was revealed that 41 seminaries were to remain closed in Islamabad during the March 23 military parade for security reasons.