Islamabad: Pakistan Police have alerted security forces in Karachi about "potential women suicide bombers" targeting religious gatherings as part of the sectarian conflict between extremist Shia and Sunni groups.
Karachi Inspector General of Police (IGP), Jehangir Mirza, said while there was more danger of suicide attacks after recent killing of Shia cleric Allama Hassan Turabi, instructions have been received to focus specially on women in gatherings.
"I cannot say that there is no danger of more suicide attacks," said Mirza, whose office issued a comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to check suicide attacks and make clear what security measures should be taken.
"This exercise is not linked to the Allama Hasan Turabi," he was quoted as saying by Daily Times on Sunday.
The SOP says that "anti-state elements" could take advantage of the presence of a large number of women at religious congregations.
The SOP suggests that management of the imambargahs and mosques should deploy their own women volunteers to check all women at the main entrances with metal detectors.
The volunteers should also question all incoming and outgoing women, particularly those wearing heavy and frilled dresses and especially the pregnant, it said.
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