The Interior Ministry and intelligence agencies have warned universities in Islamabad against a terrorist plot to use perfume bottles as gift-packs targeted at students and university employees to create chaos. A source informed Pakistan Today on Tuesday that the agencies had asked the university managements to ensure measures of extreme vigilance and beefing up of security around the universities as militants were modifying sabotage tactics to carry out terrorist activities inside university premises. In wake of these instructions, the security of the universities has been tightened and students have been warned against the threat asking them to be extra cautious of any terrorist activities.
Following the instructions, the National University of Modern Languages (NUML), through an office order, a copy of which is available with Pakistan Today, has directed students to not touch any such gift packs carrying perfume bottles. “It has been reported that terrorists are modifying perfume bottles into improvised explosive devices (IEDs). A number of IEDs have been prepared by terrorists to send as gifts for target killing. If such perfume bottles are received, the disperser may not be touched at all and extreme caution should be exercised while handling such devices or perfume bottles. All of this entails extreme vigilance and heightened security measures at all levels,” said the NUML office letter. Talking to Pakistan Today, the Public Relations Officer of NUML, Amir Salim, confirmed that the NUML had received directions from the Interior Ministry for tightening security as there was a threat of some terrorist activity through perfume bottles.
He said that after receiving information from the ministry and intelligence agencies, security at the university had been beefed up and students had been instructed not to receive any perfume bottles from anyone.
An Interior Ministry source told Pakistan Today that according to the report, universities were at the top of terrorists’ target lists.
Last year NUML was closed down for three days after receiving threats from militants. In 2009, International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) was attacked by terrorists when two suicide bombers blew themselves up inside the university premises leaving around a dozen students dead and dozens other injured.
