'Pak Interior Ministry was tipped about possible Bannu jailbreak, co-coordinated attacks'

Lahore, Apr 17(ANI): Pakistan's Interior Ministry was tipped three months ago about possible militant strikes, including both co-ordinated attacks and the Bannu jaibreak, a confidential report has claimed.

According to the report dated January 5, 2012, Commander Askari of the Tariq Geedar militant group was conspiring to launch attacks on targets, including on PAF base in Kohat, Kohat garrison and Lachi police station.

The report also warned that the group could mount an assault on the Bannu prison to free Adnan Rashid, the PAF technician who has been sentenced to death in connection with the Pervez Musharraf's assassination plot, and other dangerous militants.

The National Crisis Management Cell, which is overseen by Pakistan's Interior Ministry, had sent the report to K-P's home secretary, police chief and all others concerned officials, recommending necessary measures to foil such attacks.

A militant commander who helped plan the Bannu jailbreak said that his group had inside information, The Express Tribune reports.

Meanwhile, the Kyber Pakhtunkhwa government blamed "total intelligence failure" for the Bannu jailbreak.

"Challenging the government's writ so openly is a total failure of intelligence agencies. We have removed the deputy superintendent of Bannu jail, the city commissioner and two other senior police officers," Provincial Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain said.

He pointed out that the jailbreak coincided with multiple attacks by the Taliban across the border in Afghanistan.

"The committee will try to find out whether the jailbreak, claimed by local Taliban, had any link to the coordinated attacks in Afghanistan," Hussain said. (ANI)