KARACHI, 4 November — Security agencies rounded up 46 people after reports that plans had been prepared to blow up buildings and important landmarks in the Sindh city of Jacobabad. Jacobabad air base is being used by American soldiers and the city has been the venue of violence and demonstrations in recent days.
"We had reports that suicide bombers had entered the upper Sindh, close to borders with Balochistan" said an official on condition of anonymity.
A number of buildings, housing government and other offices, were searched by the bomb disposal staff, the official said adding that one of those detained for questioning was a member of paramilitary Frontier Constabulary.
Jacobabad shot to prominence after the government allowed its air base to be used by American troops. Anti-US demonstrations were held here several times and an attempt was made by protesters to besiege the airport. An army soldier was killed while on duty at the airport on Thursday.
Those arrested in the latest crackdown were mostly Pashtuns hailing from Quetta, Chaman, Peshawar and Haripur.
Meanwhile, according to a report, the American secret service has sought permission from Pakistan authorities to interrogate 12 nuclear scientists. They suspect that information on Pakistan’s nuclear technology has been passed on to Osama Bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda network.
