Security Risks: Pakistan Minister Shifts Residence to Islamabad

Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao


Security Risks: Pakistan Minister Shifts Residence to Islamabad


KABUL, July 20 Asia Pulse - The series of suicide bombing and attacks on military officials in the tribal and settled areas of Pakistan have forced a key minister to shift his residence, though temporarily, from Peshawar to the central capital of Islamabad.
Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao, the Interior Minister and a key confidante of President Musharraf, has restricted his movement and political activities in Peshawar and shifted to Islamabad for security reasons, it is learnt.
The minister's elder son, Sikandar Khan Sherpao, who is also member of the provincial assembly, has migrated to London under advise from his father, said a report carried by a leading Pakistani English daily on Thursday.
Quoting sources privy to the minister, the report said Sherpao had suspended all his political activities in the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) after he was reportedly informed by the intelligence agencies about threats to his and his family members lives.
Sherpao, who holds regular meetings with his party leadership and workers every Sunday at his Peshawar-based house in the posh University Town area, also known as People's House, did not come the previous Sunday.
His absence that Sunday generated rumours in political circles that the minister realised the threat to his life and kept himself away from political activities for sometime.
Aftab Sherpao, it may be recalled, has already survived a deadly suicide attack on his life in his pubic meeting in Charsadda on April 28 last in which around 40 people were killed and dozens other injured.
To avoid any harm to his family members, Aftab Sherpao sent his elder son Sikandar Hayat Sherpao, who is member of the NWFP Assembly, to London a few days ago and has been advised to stay there till the restoration of peace in the province, sources revealed.
His party spokesman, however, did not agree with reports that the minister had suspended his activities due to security reasons. He said it was his busy schedule in Islamabad that kept him away from his weekly activities at his Peshawar-based home.

(Pajhwok Afghan News)