Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf delivers his nationally televised address, Saturday, Dec. 15, 2007 in Islamabad. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)
ISLAMABAD, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf is facing life threats from al-Qaeda, the Interior Minister Hamid Nawaz Khan said on Monday.
"The threat is there," Khan said when asked if Musharraf was facing threats from al-Qaeda in an interview with local TV channel DAWN NEWS.
"Previously there was a definite threat from al-Qaeda and they had declared very openly that they would try to attack him," Khan said.
Answering a question about threats to former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, he said the government had informed Benazir Bhutto of threats to her life.
"I remember we have informed Benazir Bhutto. And we have met all their security requirements," he said.
Twin suicide attacks hit the procession which was led by Benazir Bhutto in the southern port city of Karachi on Oct. 19, leaving 140 people dead and many others injured.
Khan said there were some threats to some of the leaders like former Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao who was attacked for the second time on the Eid day, which killed more than 50 people.
Khan added that another former minister Amir Muqam was also under threat and there were many others about whom they had received reports that possibly they could be the target. "And in all such cases we are providing security," he said.
"We are definitely providing security to ex-Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain as well as Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif," he said.
President Musharraf narrowly survived two assassination bids in less than two weeks in December of 2003 in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, which killed at least 14 people.
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